Letters: Music hubs are making high-quality teaching a postcode lottery

A wholly predictable consequence of the obsessive imposition of academies is the fragmentation of school music provision. Setting up music education hubs (Shakeup in children’s music schooling has failed to bring important advantages, 15 November), with vastly less cash, does absolutely nothing to change the strategic technique to music schooling previously championed by the best neighborhood education authorities. Most hub provision explicitly promotes a lowest widespread denominator technique, offering absolutely nothing to students who can obtain up to and beyond grade 8. Alternatively, mother and father are “signposted” to ideal provision with no funding help.

In London we are lucky to have the great Centre for Young Musicians, enabling talented young individuals to get part in a vast variety of individual and ensemble activities on Saturdays. Nonetheless, a lot of local authorities refuse to supply economic help for poorer college students to attend and bursaries are restricted. Ministers would never assume their own kids to make do with the level of music provision now available to most households in this country it is they and not teachers who have low expectations of talented young musicians from ordinary backgrounds.
Alison Higgs
London

• Ofsted’s criticism of the progress produced in music training displays that the government wants to do far more to put into action the Nationwide Music Strategy. The entirely unrealistic timeframe which was imposed on music services to recreate themselves as music education hubs final year, compounded by cuts within local authorities alongside the statutory grant, has manufactured it impossible for hubs to fulfil the aspirations of the prepare. Even though numerous music hubs are making fantastic efforts to make the new program function, until the government assures that all schools engage with them, musical opportunities for younger folks will continue to be a postcode lottery.
John Smith
Common secretary, Musicians’ Union

• Music hubs are aimed mainly at children aged 5 and in excess of, even though investigation supports the concept that kids must be exposed to musical actions at a considerably younger age, and ideally from birth. Singing, mixed with lively music-producing, can assist educational development in several regions. Music also rewards communication and speech, listening expertise, physical advancement, balance and co-ordination, and memory. So why is this constrained to the in excess of-fives? Very good music schooling is a fundamental ingredient for inspiring the self-self-confidence of youngsters.
Caroline Crabbe
United kingdom standard manager, Jo Jingles

Letters: Music hubs are making high-quality teaching a postcode lottery