Gone Gibb What’s next for Music Education in England?
Dr Liz Stafford considers how the departure of a key minister from the Department for Education may affect music education. I feel sorry for Nick Gibb MP, I genuinely do. I too have once suffered the ignominy of being sacked for no good reason by someone who was manifestly less successful at his own job than I was at mine. It is not a great feeling, especially when you have poured your heart, soul, and commitment into a job that has become a passion project, as Gibb’s clearly had. I also, however, feel a bit relieved for all of us in music education. No-one could fault Nick Gibb’s commitment to the betterment of education. But unfortunately his ideas on what would make music education better seem to have left a lot to be desired. Often quoted in the press extolling the virtues of listening to, reading and writing music, Gibb’s views were a world away from what we know to be effective and engaging practice in primary music.
