ISM column: campaigning for creativity
Colin Stuart
Saturday, April 1, 2023
The Independent Society of Musicians and Edge Foundation have joined forces in a new campaign to protect music and other creative subjects in schools. Colin Stuart, ISM head of external affairs, outlines why this is necessary, now more than ever.
Adobe Stock / Serazetdinov
For many years the ISM has been highlighting the impact of accountability measures on music and other creative subjects in our schools.
Both the EBacc and Progress 8 have seen the ‘core’ subjects of English, maths, the sciences, a humanities subject and a language take a greater priority in classrooms. Since 2010 we have called on the government to reconsider the exclusion of creativity from the EBacc. This took the form of the long-running #BaccfortheFuture campaign, with which many readers will be familiar.
A fall in entries
Since the EBacc was introduced in 2010 there has been a 27 per cent fall in entries at GCSE Music, a 40 per cent drop across creative subjects and a 23 per cent fall in specialist arts teachers. Despite the outstanding work that music teachers do in bringing the value of music education to children, too often they are fighting a losing battle.
Progress 8 is a score that is assigned to each pupil based on whether their GCSE grades in their best eight subjects are higher or lower than those achieved by pupils who had similar attainment at the end of primary school. This score is then grouped with the rest of their cohort and is used for school league tables. However, the eight subjects used for Progress 8 must include at least five EBacc subjects.
The research behind our 2022 report Music: A subject in peril? showed the squeeze on creativity all too clearly. Music teachers told us of small budgets, the decrease in music courses being offered in schools and music departments shrinking. We even heard of a teacher with a budget of less than £1 per pupil per year, and teachers fixing instruments themselves or out of their own pockets.
Sadly, A subject in peril? was just the latest in a long line of evidence that all pointed in the same direction – the measures system must change.
Creating change
The ISM is determined not to sit idly by. The past year has been filled with many months of research gathering, discussions and planning. The result has been the #SaveOurSubjects campaign.
#SaveOurSubjects wants action from government on accountability measures now. We believe that the squeezing out of arts and technology subjects, including music, from English state schools means that there’s a real risk that access to this education becomes the preserve of those who can afford to study them privately.
The campaign is a collaboration between the ISM and the Edge Foundation and is supported by a growing list of organisations and individuals. Already on board are the NEU, NASUWT, NSEAD, Design and Technology Association, Design Council, Fashion Roundtable, Parentkind, One Dance and the Creative Mentor Network.
A plea for support
Given the severity of the situation with entries at GCSE plummeting and the rapid decline of specialist teachers, our asks are reasonable. We want a full review of the impact of the EBacc and Progress 8 on creative subjects; reform of Progress 8 to give pupils more freedom of choice at GCSE; and funding in the form of the Arts Premium in full – a promise which appeared in black and white in the 2019 Conservative party manifesto.
By reviewing, reforming and funding arts subjects, the government would take large leaps towards building an education system that is truly broad and balanced and helps preserve the vital creative industries talent pipeline for the future.
Alongside improving education and making learning more enjoyable for students, listening to the #SaveOurSubjects campaign would also prove popular with parents. Polling undertaken exclusively for the #SaveOurSubjects campaign found 80 per cent of parents feel it is very important for their child’s school to provide access to a full arts and technology curriculum up to and including GCSE level.
Given the Chancellor’s recent statement that he wants the creative industries sector to help boost economic growth, the government should jump at the opportunity to take steps to rebuild music and creative education in schools. The campaign is there for everyone, and we really want you to be part of it. Let’s work together to #SaveOurSubjects.
