Findings from the survey, which closed at the end of March, paint a sobering picture. Nearly half of the teachers reported a decline in extracurricular music participation over the past five years. The story is the same for instrumental lessons, with 45% noting a drop, while only one in five observed an increase.
Behind the numbers is a troubling trend: despite the proven social and educational benefits of learning an instrument, students are being edged out – most often due to financial pressures. Cost was cited as the top barrier to continuing instrumental lessons, followed by lack of time, curriculum clashes, and lack of school provision.
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