I. Introduction

       We live in a multinational and multicultural environment within which the development and growth of the official music culture is paralleled with the music culture of the smaller ethnic groups, including the Turkish minority.
        In order to gain greater insight into the condition of elementary school music education in the Turkish language, we researched and analysed the following components:
1. The music education curriculum and syllabus in class teaching and subject teaching;
2. Methods used in education;
3. The level of realization of the planned curriculum.
       These analyses should explain to what degree this kind of education suits the contemporary cultural trends of our society ? on a local and global level, and to what degree this kind of education prepares the youth to participate in the forthcoming music culture.
        Even though there are several schools in Skopje where education is carried out in Turkish, while chosing schools, we selected the elementary school “Tefejjuz”, for the following reasons:
- it is the only independent Turkish school in Skopje;
- it consists of a greater number of students compared to other schools where education is carried out in Turkish;
- its education is of better quality when compared to the other Turkish schools.
 

        1. The music education curriculum within class and subject teaching and its aims

        The music education curriculum determined by the Ministry of Education is identical for all the schools in the country, regardless of the language of teaching. The difference lies in the repertoire for instrumental and vocal music, as well as listening to music.
        According to this curriculum, all four years of class teaching involve the following five educational units:
1. Singing songs;
2. Playing children’s music instruments;
3. Listening to music;
4. Aquiring basic music literacy;
5. Encouraging children’s music expression and production
        Starting from 5th grade, music education notes a tendency to instruct the students toward systematic knowledge. Thus, its main aim is to introduce music, literacy, theoretical matters, and history of music studies.
        In addition to the determined five educational units of class teaching, the curriculum of class teaching expands with new elements. By introducing new segments from the realm of music, a certain level of knowledge is achieved.
In 5th and 6th grade, in addition to the already mentioned five educational units, the study of folk music is enforced, as well as music grammar (replaced by music forms in 6th grade) and music instruments.
        The new educational elements in 7th grade are: vocal music and vocal ensembles, and instrumental music and instrumental ensembles.
        Within the past year of elementary education, added to the above-mentioned units, greater stress is placed upon the study of history of music.

        2. Methods used in music education during class and subject teaching in the primary school “Tefeyyuz”

        The condition of class education in the primary school “Tefeyyuz” is similar to the general state of other environments in Macedonia, where music education is virtually nonexistent, and is replaced with some of the other subjects.
        We gained knowledge about the manner of realization of music education in class teaching by the direct statements of the employed teachers in “Tefeyyuz”. Namely, 13 teachers are engaged in class teaching, of whom almost all employ identical methods of teaching music. Having in mind the great disadvantage of facing a shortage of textbooks (except the 4th grade textbook) and other educational materials, children’s songs are taught by using audio equipment. These are mostly songs from the children’s songs repertoire employed in education in Turkey. The method of teaching these songs is based on memorizing the song as a result of multiple listening. Since this is the only method used within the four-year education program, it is obvious that all the subjects within the curriculum are not inlcuded.
        Greater effort is shown by one of the members of the teaching staff. Namely, this teacher employs different methods and achieves considerable results because of the better knowledge of music acquired at the primary music school during several years of classes in the piano department. The pupils begin to play blokflejta (beaked flute, blockflute ? older English) in the first grade, (even though the curriculum places this activity in the second grade), and thus succeed in fulfilling the educational units of playing children’s instruments and encouraging children’s music expression and production. Apart from this, because she didn’t have a piano at her disposal, this teacher uses the accordion as an accompaniment instrument for the children’s songs. At the same time, her music knowledge helps her prepare the pupils on a theoretical level, thus teaching basic music literacy.

        The above-mentioned facts help us conclude that besides the shortage of textbooks, in-depth understanding of the subject of teaching aids the successful realization of the curriculum.
        Hence the significance of the study of this subject during the training of staff at the Faculty of Pedagogy, where the study of the educational units defined in the curriculum should be primary.
        The main problem occuring in music education in class teaching is once again the shortage of textbooks. The texbooks which suited the program of the old syllabus were merely translations of the Macedonian textbooks, with some integrated changes, such as examples from Turkish folklore. By implementing the new educational program, these textbooks lose their validity, but are not replaced by new textbooks. Even though the teachers of this subject pledged to overcome this problem, the four years of the newly introduced program have shown no signs of improvement. The chief reason for this is the authors’ insufficient interest in translating their books, owing to low circulation and income.
        Therefore, the teachers of this subject cover the educational program individually, and thus, variously. Namely, in order to cope with the demands imposed by the educational program, they use computer presentations or additional literature. Their task becomes even more complex if we consider the fact that most of the pupils come into contact with organized music education  for the first time in 5th grade.

        As far as other teaching materials are concerned, such as music instruments, the school owns a piano, a synthesizer, orfovi (orpharion) instruments, and sazovi are used in the absence of mandolins. Within the educational units, the interest and success in the field of instrumental performance is most evident. This success is asserted with the top awards received at the municipal level.
        Namely, at the City Exhibition in 1999/2000 and 2000/2001, the school orchestras - Saz Orchestra and Orpharion instrument orchestra received four first awards in the categories “saz” and “mixed orchestra”.

        3. Conclusion

        After the conducted research of the realization of the educational program in the primary school “Tefeyyuz”, we reached the following conclusions:

    1. The level of realization of the subject music education within the class education of this school may be regarded as unsatisfactory.
 The main reasons for the inadequate realization of the educational program are the following:
a). Shortage of music education textbooks in Turkish (except the 4th grade textbook)
b). Shortage of required materials, such as music instruments;
c). The teachers’ inadequate approach towards the subject.
 As a result, all the educational units cannot be realized. With the exception of some individuals, apart from teaching children’s songs, the remaining segments of the educational program are disregarded.
 
 

    2. The repertoire which is presented to the pupils in grade education through the listening of music must include compositions from world classical music (which is actually a part of the Macedonian language textbooks). Thus, pupils would become more inclined to listen to artistic music compositions.
    3. Despite the fact that there is a shortage of textbooks on the subject of music education within the subject teaching  in the school, the level of studying this subject is considerable. The successful realization and mastering of the educational program is especially evident in the field of instrumental performance. Having in mind the obvious bond between music practice and theory, we may conclude that gaining success in instrumental practice also means gaining success in the field of theory.
        Overcoming music theory and practice is aided by the variety of repertoires, achieved through listening to music.
        Our statement rests on the positive comments from the councelors of the Ministry of Culture, who continuously monitor the way classes are carried out in this subject. According to their understanding, in this school, music education within subject education is at its highest level.
        In the end we may conclude that music education in the Turkish language is actualized by achieving balance between tradition and global development of music culture in general.