A National Plan for Music Education
On 25th June, the government announced The Power of Music to Change Lives: A National Plan for Music Education. This is a joint Department for Education and Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport strategy, which builds on the work of the previous plan published in 2011.
The plan was developed with the guidance of an expert advisory panel which included David Stanley BEM, the government’s Arts and Culture Disability and Access Ambassador, plus leaders from across the music education sector and wider music industry. Building on the contributions of thousands of young people, parents, and others in their Call for Evidence consultation in 2020, their Call for Evidence report highlights the need for music to be more inclusive, in particular for pupils with SEND and pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the power of new technology to improve access.
The vision of the group is to enable all children and young people to learn to sing, play an instrument and create music together, and progress their musical interests and talents, including professionally. The plan is also clear that music education should be fully inclusive, so that all music educators:
- commit to achieving greater access and more opportunity, and identifying and removing barriers
- take action to support increasing access, opportunity, participation, and progression of groups that are currently under-represented in music
- support understanding of inclusive music education and skills development among music teachers and others.
As part of the plan, the Government is announcing new investment of £25 million capital funding from Autumn 2023, to purchase of musical instruments and technology, including adaptive instruments and equipment that helps children and young people with disabilities make music. They also want to establish a new Centre for Excellence focussed on inclusion in 2024, with additional funding to be announced at a later date. The expectation is for every Music Hub in the country to have an inclusion strategy and appoint an Inclusion Lead by 2024.
The report on the call for evidence can be found at: https://bit.ly/3xP7goc and the policy paper here: https://bit.ly/3A574nG
Schools and Music Education Hubs can download a poster to encourage young people to get involved in music as part of the publication of the National Plan for Music Education. One is aimed at primary level, one at secondary: https://bit.ly/3u8nurB
