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As the festive season approaches, it is common to see children singing at school events such as nativity plays or carol concerts, often with proud parents in attendance. However, recent findings reveal that singing is far less frequent during the rest of the academic year, particularly as students progress beyond primary school. Concerned about this decline, a music teachers’ association advocates for all schools to establish choirs to help rejuvenate student engagement with music, which has seen a significant decrease in popularity as a GCSE subject over recent years.
A survey conducted by Teacher Tapp, which included nearly 10,000 teachers across England, examined how often entire schools sing together during assemblies. The results showed that 57% of state secondary school teachers said their students never sang collectively in assembly, compared with only 13% in private secondary schools and 4% in primary schools. When asked about choirs, over a third of state secondary teachers reported their schools had no choir, whereas this was true for just 8% of private secondary schools. Moreover, private schools were more likely to offer multiple choirs; 77% of private secondary teachers said their schools had more than one choir, against only 27% among state secondaries.
Jackie Bowen, headteacher at The East Manchester Academy, acknowledges that secondary pupils sometimes feel self-conscious about singing, unlike in primary school where it is more accepted and encouraged. Nonetheless, music holds significant importance at her school. She emphasizes that music supports students’ overall development, mental health, and academic performance. To foster participation, the school runs a weekly music hub with specialists from the Royal Northern College of Music, replaces traditional bells with classical music between lessons, and recently introduced its first gospel choir. Mercy, a Year 11 student and choir member, shares her perspective: “In primary they say you have to sing, but when you come to secondary it’s a choice, so most people don’t do it. I feel like we should all release our voices to the world. Whether you’re good or not, just sing.”
Over the past 15 years, the number of pupils taking GCSE music in England has fallen by 25%, despite a slight recent increase. This decline has been linked to the introduction of the English Baccalaureate in 2010, which emphasized academic subjects such as English, maths, sciences, geography or history, and languages, sidelining arts subjects like music. Responding to concerns, the government recently announced plans to revise the school curriculum to make it easier for schools to offer creative subjects including music. While recruitment of new music teachers has improved somewhat, it still falls 35% short of government targets for trainee music educators.
James Manwaring, president of the Music Teachers Association and director of music at Windsor Learning Partnership—a group of six state schools—advocates for every school to have a choir. He highlights the accessibility of choirs, stating, “All you need is a room and you need someone to lead it and you need students. It’s a shame to think some state schools aren’t capitalizing on that.” He describes the curriculum changes as “very exciting” but notes that additional funding and support will be crucial to retain dedicated music teachers and expand music opportunities.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making arts, music, and drama accessible to all, not just a privileged few. The government is investing millions in enabling schools to purchase musical instruments and equipment, while supporting quality teaching through Music Hubs. The renewed curriculum aims to equip young people with the skills and experiences necessary to thrive, encouraging increased participation in music and other creative disciplines
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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