UK Music are calling on the government to “turbocharge” music education and “invest in the stars of tomorrow.”
The CEO Tom Kiehl has written a letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson urging her to commit to recruiting 1,000 new music teachers and increasing the Initial Teacher Training Bursary so that it is in line with those of other subjects.
The body has also drawn up a five point plan it claims will “ensure the next generation of musicians can thrive and that the UK retains its position as a hotbed of world class musical talent.”
Other than recruiting the 1,000 extra music teachers, these include: supporting the development of new rehearsal spaces in deprived areas and facilitating upgrades to existing spaces, reversing cuts made by the previous government to university creative arts course grants, reforming the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) to remove the prioritisation of non-arts subjects and to put music “back at the heart of the curriculum” and finally promoting non-examination and vocational qualifications as pathways into the music industry.
In a statement, Tom Kiehl said: “Music education is the bedrock of our world-leading music industry. As well as producing some of the most talented and pioneering music creators on the planet, the sector supports 216,000 jobs in the UK and contributes £7.6 billion to our economy. UK Music has long recognised the importance of access and opportunity to music education. It is why 10 years ago we set up the Music Academic Partnership (MAP) to strengthen the relationship between students, academia and industry, as well as supporting other initiatives, from apprenticeships to rehearsal spaces.
“But without investment in music education our talent pipeline is at risk of drying up along with the huge opportunities for economic growth it brings. Since elected to office, the Government has argued that ‘a complete education is a creative education’. Now is the time to turn these warm words into action. A great music education must be available to all, not the preserve of the privileged. Our five-point plan will prevent countless individuals from slipping through the cracks and ensure that budding musicians from all backgrounds are given the opportunity to realise their potential.”
UK Music’s plan has the support of at least one of the UK’s biggest musical exports. Last month Ed Sheeran wrote to the Prime Minister calling on him to invest £250 million in state school music education “to repair decades of dismantling”.
Whether the UK government is listening is another matter. Successive administrations have talked up the importance of music and arts to the British economy, but have continued to prioritise other areas of the curriculum, science and maths especially.
