Opinion: ‘This cannot be allowed to continue’

With the school term well underway, parents, teachers and students are united in the hope that it will be free from the turmoil the pandemic wrought on our education system over the last year and a half. As educators and policy makers grapple with the daunting task of how to ensure the lost learning time can be regained, music education – and the vast benefits it offers – must not be forgotten.

Those of us who care deeply about music education have been saddened to witness a decade in which it has been decimated, following the introduction of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc).

This was cemented as GCSE and A Level Music entries fell again this year, with the number of pupils opting for the subject at A Level now almost halved since 2011.

Music education is dangerously close to being eliminated from mainstream comprehensive schools altogether. A Cultural Learning Alliance report tells us that other creative subjects which aren't included in the EBacc have suffered similar fates; entries for Drama GCSE fell by 29 per cent and Dance by 41 per cent between 2010 and 2019.

Research on the impacts of COVID-19 on schools serving deprived communities shows that the pandemic has accelerated this, with some schools narrowing the curriculum (by prioritising literacy and numeracy over other subjects, including arts) as pupils recover lost learning time (National Foundation for Education Research report, September 2021).

Every child deserves access to a broad, balanced curriculum – including high quality music and arts. The time for the government to get to grips with this crisis is now. Here are four issues they can address immediately:

The EBacc

The introduction of the EBacc in 2010 means that schools are now measured on the number of pupils taking certain academic subjects at GCSE, ignoring uptake of music or other creative arts. Naturally, schools are then more likely to encourage pupils to take EBacc subjects, and those not on the list can fall by the wayside.

Scrapping the EBacc – or reforming it to include arts subjects – would restore parity with other areas of the curriculum and incentivise schools to ensure pupils who want to pursue these subjects at GCSE or beyond are able to do so. The CBI (Confederation of British Industry) has also recommended that broadening the EBacc to include a creative subject will better equip young people for the world of work.

Recovering lost learning time

During the pandemic, 10 per cent of schools were not teaching music at all, partly because the practical side of music lessons are particularly hard to replicate remotely.

In around a third of schools, face-to-face instrumental lessons stopped in 2020-21. The government must ensure clear and consistent guidance is in place so that young people's opportunities to study and create music are not disrupted further.

Decline in teacher numbers

The 2019 report Music Education: State of the Nation showed that funding pressure on schools in recent years means that many can no longer employ specialist music teachers. The number of secondary music teachers fell by 1,000 from 2010-2017. The number teaching at A Level dropped by 23 per cent. First steps towards reversing this decline must include: supporting all teachers with high quality, subject specific professional development; and putting in place financial incentives for teacher training programmes, as happens for other subjects where there is a teacher shortage.

Funding shortages

In addition to the funding pressures that have seen reductions in specialist music teachers in schools, Music Education Hubs (which bring together local music education providers to supplement teaching in schools) have also suffered from budget restrictions and insecure funding. To fulfil their potential, hubs must be given a sufficient, multi-year funding settlement in the upcoming Spending Review.

Final thoughts

Those who have enjoyed high-quality music education understand the many benefits. From mental health and wellbeing to confidence building – not to mention the sheer enjoyment of making and understanding music. It has been linked to attainment in wider studies, engagement with peers, attendance, and improved career prospects. As the 2021 Durham Commission on Creativity and Education noted, young people ‘need the creative capacities that employers are looking for, which will enable them to be resilient and adaptable’.

The decline of arts subjects is a threat to the talent pipeline for the UK's world-leading creative sector, which is worth £116bn a year – on a par with the construction industry. Before the pandemic hit, growth in this sector was five times larger than in the economy as a whole. As we look to recover and rebuild as a country, government policies must protect and grow the skills base for this profitable sector.

If the erosion of music education in schools is allowed to continue, it will increasingly become the preserve of a privileged few whose parents can afford private tuition. This cannot be allowed to continue. In a 21st-century education system, every child, in every school, deserves the chance to discover and nurture a passion for music.

The Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) is the UK's professional body for musicians and a subject association for music.

www.ism.org