Out with the old: August 2024 Editorial

I think it's fair to say there was a collective sigh of relief across the education sector following the recent general election. A new Labour government has formed, promising to reset the government's relationship with the sector and transform the image of teaching. This includes re-establishing teaching as ‘an attractive, expert profession, where the immeasurable impact which teachers can make on children's lives is truly valued’.

For teachers generally, whatever your subject, this will sound encouraging. For music teachers, it's particularly welcome in the context of pressures around recruitment, funding, school accountability measures, and a top-down approach that has reorganised music hubs. In her Letter to the Education Workforce, the new Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, pledged ‘to listen’. Early days, perhaps, but an encouraging first step.