Music in the official curriculum of Thailand

In Thailand, the design and development of the offcial curriculum for kindergarten, primary and secondary is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. Charoensook (2009), collected 15 offcial curriculum for mucsic from 1895 during the reign of King Chulalongkorn the Great Rama V to present. The objective of music curriculum is mainly to entertain, use music is the tool to establish Nationalisim and moral reasons. In the Thai Nation Curriculum, the singing is the most important subject. However, music lesson is depend on teacher ability and used the memorization and oral traditional to teaching approach.

Nowadays, In the structure of new curriulum, music subject is under the Art Department, Basic Education Curriculum 2008. The idea came from the Education Decree 2001. The structure aims for learners to study for 12 years in school dividing by acadamic department. The standard of study had separated into 4 major levels, 3 years for each level. Each level composes of 8 academic department that are thai, Math, Science, Social study, Religion and Culture, Physical Education and Hygiene, Art, Handicrafts and Technology and Foreign Language.

The 8 acadamic department are the basic education that every learner must learn by dividing into 2 groups. The first group comprises of Thai, Math, Science and Social studies, Religion and Culture. These sucject are core subjects to ground critical thinking and the stratehies to solve crises and problem of the nation. The second group comprises of Physical Education and Hygiene, Art, Handicrafts and Techmology and Foreign Language. These subject aim to build up humandization and enhance critical thinking and creative minds.

As for the Art Department, the department promotes creative thinking in arts, appreciation, and value that have effect on quality of life. Thus, arts activities can be used to develop learners physically and psychologically, intellectually and socicially, which lead to environmental development. The department also promote learner to be more confident and express themselves creatively. Learners can find their own ability through the art learning precess from the techniques that can be used to make living with responsibilities, ethics and can work with others peacefully.

Music is categorized in the Art Department, which can be divided into 3 branches that are Fine Arts, Music and Dance. Each branches has set a standard for all learners to have well equipped with foundation skill to live their quality lives. Music is set into the second unit in Art Department that can be divided to 2 subunits, wich are

Standard 2.1: Understand and express music creatively. Analyze and comment value: Transfer ideas on music freely. Appreciate and apply knowledge to use in daily life.

Standard 2.2 : Understand relationship between music, history and culture. Nurture value of music, which is the local Thai legacy as well as western ones.

The Quality of learners is one important topic in the official curriculum. When learners passed all the requirement of the Art Department, learners should equipped with beautiful minds, appreciation, tastes, organized manner, analytical mind, and see the value of arts, nature, environment, and culture and nation arts. Learners can also find themselves to be able to further their education and to find career in art, can focus when working, tidy, and responsible and can work with others peacefully.