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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what recent assessment he has made of the standard of school music; and if he will make a statement; [117965] (2) what plans he has to increase the availability of music tuition for school pupils; and if he will make a statement; [117966] (3) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the strategy for school music; [117967] (4) what plans he has to increase the support for school music. [117969] Mr. Miliband: This Department is strongly committed to music education. According to the recent Ofsted report (published November 2002), schools music has improved significantly in one-third of primary schools and in two-fifths of secondary schools since the last inspection. There has been a steady improvement in pupils' achievement across all four Key Stages. In its recent monitoring report, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority also found that pupils are experiencing a greater enjoyment of music lessons than previously indicated, and noted a dramatic increase in the take up of AS and A Level music, particularly among boys. We are also committed to providing opportunities for young people to sing and play musical instruments. Music making is a key part of the National Curriculum for music and, outside of the classroom, LEA Music Services, supported by the Music Standards Fund, are currently providing nearly half a million pupils with additional, specialist tuition in a range of traditions and styles. Since 1999, more than a million music making opportunities have been provided by Youth Music (funded by the Department of Culture, Media and Sports), and for the exceptionally talented, there is on-going provision through the Government's Music and Dance Scheme and through the 10 National Youth Music Organisations, which are supported by the Department for Education and Skills. To widen opportunities still further, we have pledged, over time, to offer all primary school pupils who want to do so the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, and we are currently piloting 12 models of delivering this pledge across the country. An evaluation of the models will be produced in December 2003. I have opened discussions with a range of key stakeholders from the music world to explore how our combined resources might be deployed more coherently in our future planning to maximise their impact. To support schools music further, we are: establishing of a new category of specialist school--the music college--from 2004; commissioning a suite of new units for the Music Schemes of Work, looking at the integration of classroom music with specialist instrumental tuition; and to support recruitment into music education, commissioning a mapping document that will set out all the various routes into becoming a music teacher--in or out of school--and the skills and qualifications needed for each.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

406 c1136-7W;406 c1138-9W; 117965;117966;117967;117969

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Education Government assistance Music Standards Schools Musical instruments

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk