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Apocalypse now for music education in Wales and England?
Music education in many places in Wales is in a dreadful state, and the situation doesn’t seem likely to improve any time soon. The Welsh Assembly Government’s long-awaited music education review was published six months ago now, and yet very little’s happened since.
You can read more about this in my article (see below to download) which has now been published in Music Education UK (it’s a version of an article first published in Sounding Board last month, see other blog post).
In the same magazine, there’s with an article from Mark Jaffrey (previously Music Manifesto Champion for England) in which he describes the situation for music education in England as ‘a burning platform’.
It’s all doom and gloom when you look at the strategic picture, yet in classrooms, community centres, music centres, youth centres and studios, the amazing work that’s happening is changing children and young people’s lives. How long will that continue though?
It would be a start if the larger organisations involved in children and young people’s music-making pulled together and showed some strong leadership and truly open-minded collaboration: across sectors (youth work, arts, education, community development) and perhaps even across borders.
Easier said than done, of course, but as Mark Jaffrey says, “A strong national body that had parents, school music teachers, head teachers and wider child development and educational experts alongside community and instrumental musicians and tutors would go a long way to seeing off the threats … If we can’t work together to make this happen, what hope is there of working together in hubs locally?”
Here are the articles: the first pdf is a shortened version of the magazine containing both articles, the second a fuller one with an editorial intro, news pages, etc (but you’ll still need to subscribe at www.musiceducationuk.com to get the full-length version).
Music Education UK June 2011 excerpt – short version
Music Education UK June 2011 excerpt – longer version
Photo: Arts Active’s Music Mix project at St David’s Hall. Photographer: Chris Dawson.
Wales: a land with less music?
Amid all the discussion and debate about the review of music education in England, there was also a review here in Wales. It was published, somewhat quietly, by Welsh Assembly Government some months ago – see my previous post, Wales’ music education review. I spoke to two of the people who were behind the original campaign for a review in Wales, and wrote an article for Sounding Board magazine, which you can read below. A version of the article will also appear in Music Education UK magazine (previously known as ‘The Zone’), which is out in early June.
A land with less music? Sounding Board, May 2011
Wales’ music education review – it’s all gone quiet over here
I’m really baffled that no-one’s reporting or blogging about the Welsh Assembly Government’s review of music education. As far as I can see there was no official press release, there have been no reports in the main newspapers in Wales, and I’ve not found anything online except for a few short articles in the TES (3-19 review – musical vision; Cuts could strike sour note in land of song and Music review sounds sharp note on provision).
Here’s a really short summary of the review’s recommendations and WAG’s response.
There was so much written about the need for the review, and five years ago, more than 30 of Wales’ music personalities – including Bryn Terfel, Super Furry Animals, Kathryn Jenkins, composer Karl Jenkins, harpist Catrin Finch – were involved in a high profile campaign to get a review. Where are they now?
The key is probably that, as the TES said, WAG ‘accepted most of the recommendations but offered no further funding’ and – unlike Westminster government and the Henley Review – there’s plan for further strategic recommendations and a road map either.
As Emryr Wynne Jenkins, who led the review, says in one of the TES articles: “The key issue for us now is ensuring something happens as a result of this report …It’s encouraging that the minister has accepted most of the recommendations, but it won’t mean anything unless action is taken.”
Wales’ music education review – in short
Here’s a very short summary of the recommendations of the Review of Music Education for 3-19 year olds, and the Welsh Assembly Government’s response. For the full documents see the Written statement – review of music education for 3-19 year olds.
Although the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has accepted the vision contained in the report, there’s currently no statement about funding (although decision-making for the long-term will be affected by the result of a Front Line Resources Review and a Structure of Education Task and Finish Group) – and certainly no mention of ring-fencing of music education funding. The big national music education initiative in Wales – CânSing – which the review mentions specifically, has been guaranteed funding only until the end of the school year 2011.
There’s also no plan to show how to put in practice the vision – particularly that ‘every child and young person who wishes to do so should have an entitlement to receive group vocal or instrumental tuition from a specialist teacher and access a range of performing and composing opportunities’. As Emryr Wynne Jenkins, who led the review, says in a TES article: “The key issue for us now is ensuring something happens as a result of this report …It’s encouraging that the minister has accepted most of the recommendations, but it won’t mean anything unless action is taken.”
1. Everyone involved in music education should adopt and implement the vision for music education in the report.
WAG has accepted the vision.
2. WAG should establish a national music education forum.
Being considered.
3. WAG should ask the National Grid for Learning Cymru to create and manage a website for everyone involved in music education.
Accepted in principle but probably as part of WAG website and/or the arts education part of Arts Council Wales youth arts strategy
4. WAG should increase music education in primary Initial Teacher Training, induction and early professional development.
Being considered as part of wider teacher training developments
5. WAG should support the development of Professional Learning Communities and CPD for music education.
Accepted – as PLCs are already developing and will provide a tool for responding to the review’s recommendations
6. WAG should support local authorities in working together to rationalise the number of music services.
Accepted – there are already some local authorities developing a consortium approach to providing advice/services to schools.
7. WAG should work with National Youth Arts Wwales to maximise the ensembles’ international activity/profile.
Accepted – will be done through Wales Arts International promotional website, and Arts Council Wales youth arts strategy
8. WAG and key partners should work together to support the pyramid principle and National Youth Arts Wales ensembles.
Accepted – likely that every company that Arts Council Wales funds will provide arts for young people as a standard activity. (Pyramid principle – school and county groups feeding into National Youth Arts groups).
9. WAG should establish a national bursary for more able and talented young musicians in Wales.
Will be discussed with Minister for Heritage but no plans.
10. WAG should regularly evaluate whether the vision is being implemented by assessing music education standars in schools, colleges, music services and others.
Accepted in principle – will be considered as part of the Estyn’s (Wales’ education inspectorate) reviews.
