Following the news that Midlothian Council is proposing to cut its music education funding by 60 per cent, several other councils in Scotland have announced that they are considering equivalent cuts.
The Musicians’ Union (MU) has released a statement opposing the plans, stating ‘put simply, the cuts must not go ahead,’ and calling for the Scottish government to provide additional funding if necessary.
On the topic, MU national organiser for Education, Chris Walters, says: ‘It is tragic that some Scottish local authorities view music education as dispensable so soon after the Scottish government’s historic pledge to offer free tuition for all. It is vital that the Scottish government enters into urgent dialogue with local authorities to ensure that its pledge can continue to be delivered.
‘The Scottish government does not appear to have considered that local authority cuts might have this effect, revealing the precarious nature of the current funding arrangements. This is a wake-up call to ensure that music education is more robustly provided for from now on.’
A demonstration, attended by teachers, parents, pupils and music service staff, was held in Dalkeith on 31 January outside the council building, in protest against proposed 60 per cent cuts to the music service.
The MU says it is ‘gravely concerned’ by the proposals, and it urges all those impacted to contact their regional office.
