Motion 35
Value Music Education
“That this Congress understands the value of music education, and the contribution of those musicians and teachers who deliver it inside and outside of school.
“Congress notes that over the last 20 years, funding for the Youth Music Initiative has fallen from £10m to £9m, and over the same period the Musicians’ Union freelance teaching rate, which is linked to inflationary increases, has doubled. This means that less work can be delivered through YMI, which plays a crucial role not only providing high quality musical experiences to children and young people, but also supporting the grassroots music ecology by providing regular, fairly paid work to musicians who are building and maintaining portfolio careers.
“Too often when local authority budgets are under pressure, cuts to music services are considered. This puts highly qualified, experienced musicians at risk of unemployment, means that their pay lags behind inflation and sends a message that music education is not valuable.
“Congress believes learning a musical instrument and experiencing high quality participatory music making should not be the preserve of those who can afford to pay for it, recognises music as a viable career and a valuable pastime, and believes that access to it should not depend on financial means. The underfunding of music education has a negative impact on numbers studying music in further and higher education and entering the profession.
“Congress calls on the General Council to:
- lobby Government to properly fund music education and ensure that YMI funding and funding delivered through the Scottish Government and councils rises in line with inflation;
- lobby Government to recognise the particular challenges in rural communities if music education is not properly funded, where travel costs between schools are higher; and
- stand with the Musicians’ Union where jobs and careers are threatened by cuts to music services.”
Mover: Musicians’ Union
RSS