As part of its strategy to take music lessons to school children of all ages to fulfill its objective of early childhood training, DCMA is running a schools program currently taking place at 3 private schools in Zanzibar. The basic music education program for school children that features teaching basic music theory, songs & dance as well as fun games is sponsored by UNESCO. In the course of one year children in mostly nursery or lower primary levels are led through this musical journey with the aim of stimulating their young minds while at the same time opening up opportunities for some of them who will become interested to take up music training at the Academy.

For the public schools, due to lack of time within the government curriculum, continous lessons in music could not be set up and so in its place educational concerts designed to introduce the idea of music education as well as cultural awareness.

So far this year, nursery and lower primary pupils from a total of 8 schools from in and around Stonetown are been taught.

The specific objectives of the program in schools are :-

• To provide children with an opportunity to receive basic music training
• To increase awareness of cultural background in relation to African music
• To foster a sense of cultural identity and belonging