The State Of Play New MU research highlights profound inequality in music education provision in England, and a demoralised workforce. Report by Neil Crossley
Growing concerns over the crisis in music education in England were reinforced by an MU report in April, which highlighted the “perilous state” of music education across the country. The report, The State Of Play – A Review of Music Education in England 2019, is supported by UK Music and the Music Industries Association, and based on 24 the responses of more than 1,000 instrumental teachers, classroom teachers and music managers. It reveals huge inequality in instrumental provision, and concludes that children from families earning under £28,000 a year are half as likely to learn a musical instrument as those with a family income above £48,000 a year. The 64-page report – written by Dr Jonathan Savage of Manchester Metropolitan University and David Barnard, MU Music Education Official – paints a picture of creeping cuts to music education and a demoralised workforce, and concludes that chaotic education policies are at the heart of this demise. “This research demonstrates beyond reasonable doubt that music education has reached a crisis point,” said Dr Savage at the launch of the report, “and that schools need to be supported properly to ensure that music continues to be included as a national curriculum subject.” The findings make for stark reading, but they also offer clues for potential solutions. The
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Evidence suggests learning an instrument can have a profoundly positive impact on a child’s personal development.
‘on-the-ground views and voices’ of teachers and managers offer a particularly valuable perspective. It is hoped that State Of Play will help to envisage a workable new approach for music education in England. Diminishing returns It is eight years since the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition unveiled its national plan for music education (NPME), which was set to extend to 2020. The aim of the plan was to ensure every child had the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. The NPME also saw the establishment of government-funded music hubs – partnerships between schools and localised arts organisations – to create “joined-up music education provision”. But despite the NPME’s commitment, State Of Play concludes that a young person’s access to comprehensive and coherent music education frequently depends entirely on the whim of their headteacher, the priorities of their music education hub, and their postcode. The report goes on to conclude that the chances of a young person being taught by a qualified teacher with an appropriate set of musical skills, and with the appropriate knowledge and
understanding, are also diminishing. “This is the result of the systematic de-professionalisation of the workforce,” suggests the report, “through the liberalisation of constraints around initial teacher education, poorly designed pieces of curriculum development, heavy-handed processes of accountability for schools and music education hubs, and the impact of cuts within local government.” Creative shortfall In recent years, there has been a sharp decline in the number of schools offering music at GCSE and A-Level. This inequity has been hampered by the increased emphasis on academic subjects within the curriculum. Of those surveyed in State Of Play, 60% said that the introduction of English Baccalaureate (EBacc) had directly affected music provision in their schools. Creative subjects have become marginalised. The “squeezing out” of music from the curriculum has also resulted in the number of postgraduate students training