Three meetings for music national plan panel, but still no publication date

The advisory panel for the National Plan for Music Education has met on three occasions and the plan is still set to be published ‘early’ next year, according to a written answer from schools minister Robin Walker.

Addressing the secretary of state for education, Dame Diana Johnson, Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull North, asked two questions: when will the plan be published? And, how many times has the ‘expert advisory panel’ met since it was formed in August 2021?

Plan publication date unknown

Although providing no new information on the document’s publication date, Walker confirmed in his response on 16 December that the group working on the plan has met three times so far. The update on the original 2011 plan was due to be released in 2020.

He wrote: ‘On 6 August, the government announced plans to work with a panel of experts from across the music education sector to develop a refreshed national plan for music education. This will shape the future of music education in this country, so that more children and young people have access to a good quality music education. The refreshed plan will be published early next year.

‘The announcement follows the publication of the non-statutory Model Music Curriculum in March, and the publication of the music education consultation report published in August, based on responses to the call for evidence to inform the refreshed plan and conducted between February and March 2020.

‘The advisory panel includes teachers and representatives from the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and UK Music, as well as Darren Henley, chief executive of Arts Council England, whose independent Review of Music Education in England informed the original national plan. To date, the panel have met on three occasions.’ 

Worsened situation during pandemic

On the announcement of the panel, some concerns were raised that an advisory panel is ‘not sufficient’, and that ‘views from across the sector’ should be taken into account. 

A government consultation, which will be used by the panel to shape the plan, was open between 9 February 2020 and 15 March 2020, but the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) pointed out that 'the situation has become even worse' during the pandemic, suggesting that any new plan should be 'fully consulted on'.

Responding to the consultation and panel announcement earlier this year, the ISM said: ‘An advisory panel is not sufficient when so much is at stake, especially when none of the teaching members are obliged to teach the national curriculum.’

The government has not stated whether or not a draft of the new national plan will be shared or consulted upon beyond the panel.

The full list of panellists and the music education consultation report can be found here.