The UK government recently caused public outcry after announcing plans to withdraw funding from post-16 music education. This move has seen several individuals and groups speak out against it, labeling it as “damaging.” Young people and educational professionals are particularly concerned about the situation. The current plans to defund the educational sector by 2026 could leave around 30,000 young people without options for a career path in music, especially those studying Level 3 qualifications.
UK Music’s Director of Education and Skills, Dr. Oliver Morris, expressed concern over the defunding of current vocational music qualifications. He called for the government to pause defunding and allow for new qualifications to be trialed and embedded properly. This would enable an easy transition to take place without losing or damaging whole cohorts of students.
Defunding music education has far-reaching outcomes that could affect not only the learners and educators but also the talent pipeline and ultimately the music industry. In a letter to Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, UK Music’s Chief Executive Tom Kiehl warned of the “serious consequences” of defunding this sector. Kiehl pointed out that the music industry contributes £6.7 billion (GVA) to the economy, generates £4 billion in exports, and employs 210,000 people.
Kiehl proposed a meeting with the Education Secretary to demonstrate the “impact” of this decision and called for an “immediate pause in the defunding of all music qualifications.” UK Music’s stance is that pausing the defunding would save the careers of several young professionals, helping them to develop the skills necessary to create pathways to music careers.
To summarize, withdrawing funding from post-16 music education is a polarizing decision made by the UK government. While the focus might be on the funding, it is essential in creating opportunities for young professionals in the music industry. Several education and industry leaders have voiced their opposition to the plans, calling for a pause to allow room for new qualifications to be tried and embedded without damaging whole cohorts of students along the way
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