The Music Education in Spain within the compulsory curriculum of Secondary Education. A comparative study among the Autonomous Communities

Abstract

Despite the fact that there are many studies that identify that the Music Education provides numerous benefits to all those students who study it, the truth is that in Spain there is a regression of its presence in the Compulsory Education as the different educational laws are enacted. If during the LOGSE (1990) both Art and Music Education were compulsory within their respective educational stages, in the last years with the LOMCE (2013) these subjects have become optional. In this way, their presence is at the mercy of the Autonomous Communities. Specifically, this article analyses the current situation of Music within the Compulsory Secondary Education through a comparative study among the different legislations that regulate the autonomous curricula. The results obtained are that in Spain the Music is compulsory studied with an average of almost 4 sessions per week, that is, approximately one session per course, although it should be pointed out that all these sessions are concentrated only on the 1st Cycle. Granting a minimum value of 50 minutes per session, we can speak of the students receive an average of 3 hours and 9 min. during this time. However, the compulsory time distribution is very different because there are territories that do not have any sessions and others that have 6 weekly sessions distributed during the secondary stage. Along with these hourly inequalities, it is also necessary to add inequalities in learning, given that Catalonia and the Basque Country do not build their curricula in accordance with Royal Decree 1105/2014. Finally, the article concludes with the reflection that, if music contributes to the full development of the human personality and it is ubiquitously present in contemporary youth cultures, its learning should not be restricted by randomness or socioeconomic status.