is magazine 8.1 - Autumn/Spring 2005 - International Schools ...

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Setting international standards for music Setting international standards for music Tim Arnold explains the advantages of graded exams Founded in 1889, The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), based in London, England, is the world’s leading provider of music exams and assessments. Each year over 630,000 young performers and singers take ABRSM music exams in more than 90 countries around the world. The exams are international benchmarks for the measurement of musical achievement – as are the professional music diplomas ABRSM also examines – for teachers, directors and performers around the world. The assessment process is always accompanied by the enjoyment of preparation, and indeed the phrase ‘enjoyment through achievement’ sums up ABRSM’s philosophy. ABRSM graded music exams are fully accredited by the UK’s Qualifications and Curriculum Authority; overseas, South Africa became, in May this year, the latest in a number of countries to acknowledge the importance of ABRSM exams, by recognising their equivalence to South African matriculation exams. Each year ABRSM sends many hundreds of examiners – fully trained, professional musicians, drawn from every branch of the music profession – to schools, colleges, teaching studios and private teaching practices across the world. One such exam centre is Harrow International School in Bangkok, Thailand, where the Director of Music is David Gorodi. For him, ABRSM exams are internationally transferable music performance indicators; they are also an objective guide for teachers, a consistent method of assessing children’s musical performance, irrespective of global location. ‘Working over the years with many music teachers from varied backgrounds has been a tremendous challenge. One piano teacher believed students should complete two years of music theory classes before being allowed to touch a piano, and another would not let his students play a tune until they had mastered all their scales! ‘However, having worked overseas for 18 years, in four very different international schools, I have found that the structure of ABRSM music exams helps guide teachers in their lessons, requiring them to vary repertoire and demanding attention to aural training and sight reading. The discipline of music exams also helps me monitor and encourage teachers’ progress. ABRSM has also provided an outstanding service, even in diffi- David Smith with pupils from the International School of Zug. cult circumstances – during terrorist threats in Saudi Arabia and flash floods in Spain, for example. ‘As head of a music department ABRSM exams help me to provide a consistent standard of instrumental teaching in a wide variety of culturally diverse international schools.’ Underpinning ABRSM’s growth is its support of music teachers in the increasingly pressured world of music education. Continuing professional development for instrumental and vocal teachers is an important service provided by ABRSM, through a rich and varied programme of seminars, workshops and courses delivered each year throughout the world. For example, the Certificate of Teaching (CT ABRSM) course helps teachers to realise their full potential and refresh their approach to teaching; widely recognised and highly regarded by educational organisations worldwide, the course is currently available in Malaysia and Singapore, as well as the UK. New offerings are regularly added to the music assessments portfolio including, in recent years, jazz piano exams and jazz horns exams. This year ABRSM launched Music Medals, exciting new assessments designed specifically for pupils taught in groups (as opposed to individually taught pupils) who are at the early stages of instrumental learning. ABRSM believes it is important to be receptive to the needs and wants of teachers, pupils and their parents. ABRSM shares with ECIS a non-profit ethos, and the synergy goes further: both organisations have much in common, as seen in the ECIS Council’s mission statement to provide ‘services to support professional development, curriculum and instruction’. Despite the constantly evolving nature of international education, ABRSM’s aim is always to motivate music students to achieve the best they can. David Smith, Director of Music at the International School of Zug, Switzerland, summarises the benefits of graded music exams: ‘In our school, learning an orchestral instrument is a compulsory part of the music curriculum. For those students wishing to take them, ABRSM exams have proved to be a wonderful way of supporting their learning. Most importantly, the exams are a great device for motivating all students, even those who find learning their instrument challenging. ‘Without question, students practise more when they have a goal, such as a concert or exam, and these independent music assessments help enormously. ABRSM exams are incorporated naturally into regular lessons, but are not the main aim of the instrumental programme. However, we have found that music exams are an excellent way of assessing progress and provide a benchmark for students, teachers and parents alike. There is no doubt in my mind that our students are becoming better musicians and performers from taking part in ABRSM exams’. ‘Setting the Standards’ has long been central to ABRSM’s work and it remains committed to learning and to supporting music education around the globe. Tim Arnold has wide experience as a music educator, performer, piano teacher and music examiner. In his role as Head of International Operations for ABRSM he also delivers professional development seminars for music teachers around the world. For further information please contact: International Department, The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, 24 Portland Place, LondonW1B 1LU, UK. Telephone +44 20 7467 8240 Email international@abrsm.ac.uk 12Spring is Autumn 2005
is Autumn 2005 Spring From international to intercultural From international to intercultural Julie Schroeder describes how the Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Melbourne has established a clear strategic goal ‘Heywood defines intercultural literacy as the understandings, competencies, attitudes, language preferences, participation and engagement necessary for successful cross-cultural engagement.’ For more than 130 years, the Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Melbourne, Australia has been at the forefront of progressive education for young women. As one of Australia’s oldest and finest schools, PLC has constantly raised the level of achievement and the opportunities for its students who consistently attain superior academic results and have gone on to make significant contributions to both Australian and international life. However, visitors to the College’s tranquil and extensive campus in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, are astonished to see how truly international the face of PLC has become. At a time when many schools in Australia are busily establishing an international profile in response to the challenges of globalisation, PLC has galvanised its already strong international school population and embraced an intercultural literacy approach which is now underpinning all its philosophies, curriculum and professional development. While building on the steadfast Presbyterian monocultural beginnings of its Scottish founders, PLC leadership has established the clear strategic goal of promoting intercultural literacy across the whole school. The decision was made after extensive discussions with staff and the endorsement of a policy paper, From International to Intercultural, Towards a profile, definition and statement of advantages of intercultural literacy at PLC in the 21st Century. This paper was inspired and informed by ‘From international to intercultural, Redefining the international school for a globalized world’ by Mark Heywood as reproduced in the Journal of Research in International Education, IBO, 2002. Heywood defines intercultural literacy as the understandings, competencies, attitudes, language preferences, participation and engagement necessary for successful cross-cultural engagement. This definition gave clarity and direction to the work already underway at PLC. Now there was a name for what the College had been developing over a number of years. Over the past 20 years, PLC has outgrown its monocultural base and its change in school profile has reflected the increased Asianisation of Australian society. PLC has become in fact a de facto international school as it attracts the daughters, not only of Australian citizens of various ethnic backgrounds, but international students, temporary residents, diplomats, transnationals, missionaries, expatriate families as well as those parents of Caucasian girls who want to fully pre- 13
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Page 39 and 40: Plagiarism: ethics, detection, sanc
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Page 54: and finally and finally… Miracle

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