Petition to include arts and music in new curriculum

Thanks, gettingonabit
I see there is now a charge for music services and the orchestras in areas of Wales.

lucky I remember Singing Together! My favourite lesson. That big radio thing with the round speaker in the middle...

I must admit I've been impressed with what younger secondary kids are doing in music. At least they get hands on to instruments which is more than we ever did.

RE is definitely good for critical thinking . Given the prejudice between various faith groups and the absence of faith is so many households I'd be happy for my grandchildren to study RE, well taught and without prejudice of course. It leads onto so many significant discussions.

I was told at age 11 that I was hopeless at art and simply gave up. I come from a family with a number of talented artists so just felt humiliated. This Christmas I was given a weekend on a Can't Draw, Won't Draw course. Off I went, with some trepidation only to discover that I can draw as well as the average individual. I loved it.

Similarly Drama - I wish all children were given the opportunity to study various Arts subjects in the same way they study English, Maths, Languages and the Sciences.

I guess it depends what is meant by "study music" - in practice, most primary schools have no-one competent to even do singing with them, as outlined upthread; I have been in so many schools where there is a piano or keyboard gathering dust because no-one can play it, or even knows what the notes are called to make use of it to give a starting note.

I remember in primary school learning various different recorders and playing in little groups reading the music, playing harmonies; and the singing teacher there (lively old white haired lady) inspired the love of singing that has been a huge part of my life - I cannot imagine what it might have been without it. I do not want children to miss out on these opportunities that have shaped my life and those of many others.

Remember Singing Together? - I still have one of the books we used in class - I was enchanted with it all.

I am governor at a primary school and now the children ALL learn to read music and ALL play an instrument from day one: ocarinas for the tiny fingers, then recorders, then violins etc. It has been a battle, but how they love their achievements. It can be done - it just needs someone to wave the flag for it - a teacher, a TA, a governor. And for schools to be willing to use the Pupil Premium to help disadvantaged children have the same opportunities as those from affluent backgrounds. All schools should give these opportunities, but will not do so as long as they are judged on such a narrow curriculum. They are just desperate to get their data up to scratch and get a good OfSted.

My 10 year old grandson has decided that he is a jazz pianist, and his clever teacher has found a book for him to suit. He would have lost interest otherwise.

Btw, all pupils study music in the Nat Curriculum through KS3. So the "elemental schools side of it is taken care of.

Signed. Thanks for posting the link Luckygirl.

I've got him again today NotToo and he really could have gone back to school but for this 48 hour rule thing. He's on turbo-boost as only a bored 5-year old can be and I can't find his 'off' switch so just resorted to handing him my ipad

That sounds lovely, Anya. When our dear GS is here he's always stuck on his computer.

jalima I THINK Welsh (as a second language) is compulsory in Wales, yes; however the children I know doing WelshBac are in Welsh Medium schools so Welsh is treated as a first language. The subjects for WelshBac (Welsh Medium) are:
Welsh Language
Welsh Lit
English Language
Welsh Lit
Maths
Science (2 subjects, or even 3)
RE.
Then: three subjects of child's choosing.

Having written that out, I'm thinking that RE is there in case the child doesn't choose Geography, History etc. Apparently RE is good for critical thinking....

So sadly not much room for music, or drama, IT, or PE.

I would've thought that if anything should be compulsory, it would be IT!

My friend's musical daughter is taking Music as an additional subject. She already has G5.

I'm really worried about Music Services. The orchestras are run on pretty much a voluntary basis now. Private lessons are costing £30 an hour. Outside of the private system, there are few options for a musical child of a less well-off family.

It's shocking, it really is.

"A study published in 2007 by Christopher Johnson, professor of music education and music therapy at the University of Kansas, revealed that students in elementary schools with superior music education programs scored around 22 percent higher in English and 20 percent higher in math scores on standardized tests, compared to schools with low-quality music programs, regardless of socioeconomic disparities among the schools or school districts. Johnson compares the concentration that music training requires to the focus needed to perform well on a standardized test."

" Better SATs scores: Students who have experience with music performance or appreciation score higher on the SATs. One report indicates 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on maths for students in music appreciation courses."

I find these results fascinating and quite remarkable and feel the D f E is missing a trick here. They could get better academic results plus measurable enhancement of co-operation, school attendance and confidence. What's not to like?

I wonder how many Arts oriented schools there are in the country. Whether they really are few and far between. They do cater well for the kids interested in those sectors of the arts, but it can be hard to get a place.

I think Lucky that some people don't realise just how diverse the 'music' is that is on offer at the best schools. I have found funding for several schools to have their own Music Studios where youngsters were shown how to mix using complicated decks and technologies.

So it's not all 'Nymphs & Shepherds' or working through your grades.

Our family love music, most of us play an instrument or three. For example I have GS3 here today, off school with a virus, he's picking out 'Over the Rainbow' on our handbell set as I type.

In the earlier years learning a musical instrument has a beneficial effect on a child's brain. Thank the Lord for the descant recorder.

Exactly Anya - you have summed it up so well.

One of the reasons that so many children do not get involved in music and the arts is because they are sidelined - music in particular - so they get the idea that it is only for the very talented. If music were a valued part of the curriculum then children would see it as the norm, rather than a dwindling add-on.

It is a vicious circle - the dwindling of music has been happening for many years and many young teachers are the product of that depleted system. They themselves cannot read music and have no confidence in teaching it to their pupils. Even the use of song is a challenge to them. I used to go into schools to do singing with the children and some of the teachers would not even join in themselves as they felt insufficiently confident. What message does that send to the children?

There are almost no pupils who do not like music (it is the language of the teenager) - their interest is quashed by the poor teaching and sidelining of the subject.

There is strong concrete evidence that involvement in music in school has large and measurable beneficial effects on results in language and maths; and also on co-operation and confidence. It is a pity that the narrow-minded politicians do not take this on board.

Best not to force RE into a child who has no interest in it either I agree.

RE isn't in there Jalima.

I suppose it depends on the choices the child makes. Perhaps no point in forcing music or drama into a child with has no interest in it, or who actively dislikes it. I think by fourteen they know what they want. Just so long as they have a good grounding in the core subjects.

They will be able to choose whether to take the Bacc or not.

Absolutely, Anya

Sad to hear that the state of music education is shocking in the 'Land of Song' and one which produced so many fine actors, gettingon
And why is RE compulsory?

Ah ha! Now recognise that 'some Gov paper'

Isn't it the case that schools will now be ranked on the results their pupils achieve in these 'core' subjects? Which mean that, unless schools are really committed to Music, the Arts or Drama, hundreds of children are going to miss out on these subjects - or only have token lessons.

I've watched the demise of music education services over the last 10-20 years across various LAs. I once worked for a LEA with a Music Service second to none. They had the capacity to offer tuition in almost any instrument to children, had junior orchestras and choirs, ran out-of-hours sessions and Summer Schools. All these services were offered to schools free of charge. But then schools were given control of their own budgets and these services had to be paid for 'bought in'.

Many schools initially chose to do so, but gradually, with league tables, emphasis on attainment in SATs, less emphasis on non-core subjects, fewer and fewer bought in and the cost inevitably rose. Less schools had their own music specialist. Indeed when I left my teaching post to work for the LEA the HT was unable to recruit another pianist, so the school choir folded, hymn practices and other musical events had to be led by a non specialist using CD backing.

Where we live now we have to pay privately for lessons for GS1 and it was almost impossible to find anyone qualified to teach his instrument.



What would our world be without music and drama and art?

Students can only choose 3(I think) non-compulsory subjects
Is Welsh a compulsory subject in the WelshBac?
Would that be the compulsory language?

My post 14:23:58

That's the paper I got my information from - where I quoted the 'not compulsory' bit.

March 2016 English Baccalaureate

Is this up-to-date enough for you jingl - 7 days ago?

I think it's a tough one-perhaps too tough to call in these competitive times. In my day it was sufficient to specialise in Arts OR Sciences; perhaps not so much now. I'm surprised IT is not on that list, though.

Extra subjects wouldn't be "just add-ones". They would have the same status as the listed ones. Agree it's not an easy syllabus, but they want to bring UK education into line with much of the rest of the world.