The National Plan for Music Education
Now that I’ve had the opportunity to read this and seen that the general consensus is a positive one amongst other commentators, I thought I’d add my two pennies worth.
As others have already mentioned, this new plan has some really good things in it. A sense that the government has listened to what has previously been recommended in the Henley Review. Despite the inclusion of positive initiatives, which I’ll be talking about further down, I didn’t read this wearing rose tinted glasses (just my normal ones). There are some worrying aspects to this report; ones that I hope will be overcome or at least not be how I think it’ll turn out.
The biggest and by far the thing I’m most excited about and conversely afraid for is the provision that ALL pupils aged between 5-18 (state and free schools) will have the opportunity to take up an instrument. And all pupils to be given class based tuition on their instruments. Great stuff, the right to ask to play an instrument and no reason for teachers or schools to refuse or fob them off. I have to ask just how much choice pupils will get in what instrument they learn, for I can’t help but have visions of the mass orders for plastic recorders being made by schools, to save money and fulfil the requirements the plan states must be met. Recorder, triangle and tambourine manufacturers must be rubbing their hands with glee thanks to this report!
What is important in the report is the recognition that “[music] must not become the preserve of those children whose families can afford to pay for music tuition”(p3) and that through music the disadvantaged can benefit most. I guess this all correlates with the opportunity for all to learn an instrument.
The music services currently in place will continue until September 2012, when they will be disbanded at least in name and Music Education Hubs will be responsible for funding and providing opportunities the plan sets out to achieve.
Essentially the plan sets out to:
- All children to be given the chance to learn an instrument, to learn to sing and be able to progress to an advanced level if they wish.
- Teachers to have greater freedom in how they teach music in school (within the guidelines of a “broad and balanced curriculum”)
- New Music Education Hubs will replace the current work of Local Authority Music Services by Sept 2012, combining the services of local hubs, schools and private providers.
- A new monitoring board to hold hubs to account for the quality and consistency provided on a national scale.
- Support music education across the age range for both inside and outside school activities.
- Whole class ensemble teaching programmes, opportunities to play in other ensembles and to provide clear progression routes.
- Music technology to be supported to support the extension of good music teaching.
- Music Hubs to assess local needs via schools and provide clear communication to parents/carers.
- IN HARMONY Sistema England to be expanded to support more children from more disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve their full potential, beyond the areas already covered (Lambeth, Liverpool and Norwich).
- Funding for Music services/Hubs to be scaled down from April 2012 in three staged years £77m 2012, £65m 2013, £60m 2014.
So I left the best for last: Music Education will be trying to achieve more than it does already with less funding than it gets now. The arguments that this will not negatively impact upon services are based upon the new funding model based on a per pupil basis. Affluent areas with more funds but less pupils will accordingly receive less funding and areas with more pupils but proportionally less funding will get more. I can see the logic in this to be honest, doing things the Robin Hood way but why not just keep the funding the same and still fairly divide it?
Think about it, there’s a basic problems with all this: they are trying to make more things happen than before but with less money than before, I can’t help but think something here will go badly wrong, some part of the plan will be dumped, swept under the carpet and quietly forgotten about. And that’s why I worry about the Recorders…because that’s all I had and I grew up under the last Conservative government (ok this time it’s a coalition, but still).
Sistema England’s In Harmony project is a great thing, helping lots of children to learn an instrument and be part of something that gives them a positive goal to aim for. The fact that the government has seen the benefits being a part of a orchestra has had and provided funding (included in the total funding amounts) to expand the project is great news, I fully welcome this and hope that maybe from a purely selfish point of view Hull is considered as a future participant.
Any local Arts organisation can apply to become their local music Hub, but there are certain provisions and requirements, and most likely a hell of a lot of red tape involved to probably make it very likely that a fair few local authority Music Services will apply and win the right to become a Hub for their local area. Collaborations are encouraged and therefore the hope is Hub to Hub to Orchestra to Hub to Hubs may be envisioned. Well it would be a good thing to hope for.
The Plan is freely available for you to download and read from the Department for Education's website here
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