I can't believe that Bridgend Council are planning to charge school children for music tuition in schools. They plan to charge £6 an hour for lessons, and all in order to make the £5.5million saving that they need to carry out as a Council. I understand that Council budget's are tight, but this smacks of desperation on the Council's behalf. There is obviously no clear savings strategy, otherwise this small scale scheme would be a no go area.
To charge students for music tuition will lead to a segregation between those who can afford the lessons and those who can't. Poorer children are already stigmatised enough, without Council's interfering. In my experience, many successful talented musicians are from lower income families, and struggle hard enough to fund instruments, courses etc without putting fees for lessons in to the equation.
If the Council decide to charge for lessons, this sets a very bad example to other Council's who may be considering this option. It could lead to a fall in demand of music tuition, thus putting the livelihoods of our unappreciated Peripatetic teachers in the balance.
Music provision is always the first to go when cut backs are needed- this was so in Aberystwyth University when Music degrees were scrapped a while back. This shouldn't be the case. Studying music taught me so many varying skills- from communication, to teamwork, to commitment, not to mention the social skills on many a music course!
It definitely shouldn't be rated as a second class subject. Bridgend Council obviously view it as such, otherwise this scheme wouldn't be up for discussion!
*(The picture on this blog is of a VIOLA, not a VIOLIN. It is, in my eyes, the best instrument that exists. It is not a mongrel violin, ok?!)
