ISM publishes guide to advocating for music in schools

The Independent Society of Musicians has released Advocating for music in schools – a free guide to help music teacher make the case for their subject in their schools and communities. 

The guide has been designed to support teachers who are advocating for music to senior leadership teams, local politicians, parents and the media. 

Establishing what advocacy is in different contexts, the new publication draws on research showing the direct benefits of music education for children and young people as well as the wider societal and economic benefits. 

The ISM has provided teachers with practical ideas and strategies to advocate for the subject, alongside a template leter and other guidance for writing to your local councillor or MP. 

This follows the news that both A Level and GCSE Music entries are continuing to fall year on year, compounding the trend of decline since 2010. 

‘The guide we release today aims to give those teachers who have such a passion for music education the tools to fight for it locally,’ says ISM chief executive Deborah Annetts. ‘We appreciate that teachers are incredibly busy and it can often be overwhelming to know where and how to start when it comes to advocating for your subject. We want to break down the steps and make advocacy as easy and effective as possible.’

ism.org/news/new-guide-to-support-advocating-for-music-in-schools