The special characteristics of music, when well harnessed in schools at all levels, could aid the social and physical development of students, Professor Joshua Adebisi Omotosho of the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, has observed.
He had consequently, admonished all education instructors at all levels to incorporate music into their lessons.
Prof. Omotosho who is a visiting Professor currently lecturing at the Department of Educational Foundations of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) made the observation at a public lecture on Wednesday as part of the University’s occasional lecture series.
He spoke on the topic “That songs are the most enduring memoirs of my childhood has implications for counselling, research and some feeding habits”, made the lecture very interesting when he interspersed it with singing to the admiration of the audience.
The Guidance and Counselling Professor said incorporating music into lessons would arouse students’ interest in the subjects they teach, make teaching friendly to them and also stimulate their intellectual development.
According to him, songs have special characteristics which ordinary learning materials did not have and were more easily decoded and retained than other types of materials and as such could be beneficial in the teaching of special subjects.
Prof Omotoisho described music as a tool, which helps to educate the individual through its messages and help take initiatives and enable students to be innovative.
Using his school days as an example and citing scholars who have researched into music, he said research had proven how music therapy made people brilliant and alert.
Prof Omotosho suggested to UCC to conduct an inter disciplinary research into other food crop such as “Asoa fruit” which its findings could re-affirm the University as a trail-blazer institution both in its contribution to making improved living standards and in attracting huge local and foreign grants and awards.
He commended Ghana for its public address system saying “its a good treasure which needs to be enshrined in the laws”.
