It's Time for Education to Take the Lead: Our Response to the NSW Arts & Music Education Inquiry Report
We are at a pivotal stage in receiving real actions to progress our vision that every child in every public primary school in NSW has access to quality music education. With the upcoming release (by 12 March) of the NSW government’s response to the report of the Joint Select Committee’s Inquiry into Arts and Music Education and Training in NSW, the stakes are high.
The Inquiry was a commitment of Creative Communities strategy – a part of a whole-of-government approach to cultural participation and creative industries, and greater cultural vibrancy.
The Joint Select Committee’s Inquiry Report provides 30 recommendations, and stakeholder expectations are high that the NSW Government will deliver a substantive response to the Inquiry report and commit to actions that will have a real impact.
At Music Education: Right from the Start, we have worked closely with our stakeholders, including music providers, teachers, researchers, musicians, academics, conservatoriums, the NSW Teachers Federation, the music industry, and philanthropists, to collect our thoughts and collaboratively develop our vision for the Government’s response.
You can read our official response here.
In summary:
We advocate that any actions to improve how music curriculum is delivered in NSW government schools must be Department of Education-led.
We support the recommendation for the development and delivery of a Music Action Plan to identify and address the barriers to universal access in the current education system to quality music education.
We would want this plan to have at least a 10-year timeframe and be appropriately resourced.
We also support the appointment of an Advisory Group to work with the Department of Education that has a wide range of expertise and perspectives.
We believe the plan should include actions to build the capacity and confidence of generalist primary teachers to deliver the music curriculum; to back school leaders with resources and expert support, and to advocate for changes in Initial Teachers Education to address the needs at the teacher training level.
Finally, we encourage the government, through the Music Education Plan, to have ambitious targets, and to report annually to both the Minister for Education and the Minister for the Arts.
The Inquiry report highlights 11 key findings, including the undervaluation of creative arts in education, leading to broader systemic neglect in investment, and the decline of tertiary pathways for arts and music in NSW.
Central to our collective position is the Inquiry’s key finding that "Every child in New South Wales deserves the benefits of a high-quality, richly complex creative arts education."
The Government’s forthcoming response is a crucial opportunity to build on the collective efforts and unified calls from 125 submissions and multiple hearings during the Inquiry.
With this strong foundation, we’re poised to make real progress towards our vision that every Australian primary school student receives access to their right to a quality, sequential, and ongoing music education.
(Feature image: Courtesy of Australian Children’s Music Foundation).
