ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2022 | NEWS & CAMPAIGNS
News & campaigns ISM releases Music: A subject in peril? For more information about the report, see our feature on page 8
The ISM’s education report Music: A subject in peril?, published as we await the government’s refreshed National Plan for Music Education (NPME), presents the findings from a survey of music teachers across England. In the absence of any meaningful consultation with teachers on the contents of the refreshed NPME by the Department for Education (DfE), the ISM invited teachers to share their experiences and views with us directly. More than 500 primary, secondary and peripatetic music teachers from all types of settings responded to our survey. Their responses tell a heart-breaking tale of the neglect and marginalisation of music in schools over the past decade. The report also makes recommendations based on its findings about what the government must do to address these issues. Launching the report, ISM Chief Executive Deborah Annetts said: ‘I cannot overstate the importance of the ISM’s new report, Music: A subject in peril? Hundreds of music teachers took the time to tell us their experiences in the classroom and this report is an honest reflection of their experiences.
What is clear is that our music teachers are dedicated and passionate and they know what good music education is. The Department for Education must commit itself to a full consultation on the refreshed National Plan for Music Education before implementation.’
APPG for Music Education: First Session of 2022 The first session of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Music Education of 2022 took place virtually on Tuesday 1 March. The meeting was well attended by politicians and the music education sector with just under 90 attendees in total. It was chaired by The Earl of Clancarty. Presentations were delivered by: • Georgina Burt, England Development Manager, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) • Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive, Incorporated Society of Musicians • Phil Castang, Director of Creative Learning & Engagement at Bristol Beacon, Chair of the Music Education Council (MEC)
This is a critical time for music education, with the Read all of the speeches from the APPG on our website: refreshed National Plan for Music Education due any ism.org/news/appg-music-education-firsttime now. Although the Plan has an important part to play in the future of music education, it will not be able session-of-2022 to fix the issues which the report uncovers. We call on the DfE to adopt the recommendations of the report. In particular we need to address the huge inequalities in music education which are rooted in inadequate funding, and there needs to be a fundamental overhaul of the accountability measures in particular Progress 8.
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