Please Help a Needy Student: Music PODCAST!
 

Hi everyone,

I'm a Music Journalism student and am doing a project on the budget cuts which are happening to UK music education.

I feel really strongly about the subject and I'm sure a lot of music lovers in the UK will too.

Could you pleaseeeee comment on this thread about what you think about the music education budget cuts that Michael Gove has implemented and if you think music education is important.

You would be helping me LOADS.

THANKS, Emma Storey.

Would you be able to give us a rundown of the cuts? I can't say I've really followed the budget changes very closely.

Gove released a National Music Education Plan in 2011 called the Importance of Music.

It outlined really positive changes to the UK music education system such as the emphasis on all children having the opportunity to learn an instrument, ideally over a full school year.

It also laid out the plan to abolish all local music services (which provide external music tutors and music classes for schools) in order to replace them with new music hubs which would have most of the responsibility to handle all local music services and they should be communicating with local schools in their area to provide the best music services.

The plan also included the plan to endorse better music teacher training schemes so school music teachers are better equiped to teach the subject.

The plan also stated that funding inequalities in the UK would be levelled out so more wealthy areas do not get more money than poorer areas.

However, despite Gove's positive words about music education, he has cut the budget for music education by £17m.

This means that the new music hubs are receiving less money when they are trying to run a better system than before.

The cuts could mean that even though poorer areas should be getting the same amount of money as wealthy areas, all areas are getting less money overall.

Plus, the Musicians' Union has released a statement to the government that they plan must be implemented better in the next academic year as it is not working as it should be and the UK music education system has not improved any.

So, do you think budget cuts as large as this are acceptable for music education?
How can Gove set out to support and improve the music education system is he is cutting their funds as much as he has?
Does he really support music education as much as he says he does?

Apologies for the huge reply! Thank you!