On the 23rd October, Bath MP chaired the Annual General
Meeting (AGM) of the APPG for Music Education, bringing together
parliamentarians, academics and experts in education policy to
discuss how to make music education more inclusive and
accessible.
It comes amid worrying figures from the 2023 school exam season,
with GCSE music entries declining by 36 percent since 2010 and
A-level music entries declining by 45 percent since 2010.
Members of the APPG discussed increasing inclusivity in music
education through school policy. Following an address by Liberal
Democrat Baroness Jane Bonham Carter on expanding music tuition
for underprivileged children, the APPG heard from Professor Adam
Ockelford from the University of Roehampton and Rachel Elliott of
the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
Liberal Democrats adopted a motion at the Annual Conference to
include arts subjects in the English Baccalaureate, helping
children and young people develop the creative and emotional
skills which are increasingly sought after by employers.
, Liberal Democrat MP for
Bath, commented:
“Everyone should be able to take part in the arts. Arts and
culture are vital, not only for our economy, but for our
wellbeing.
“The Government’s support for music has not been good enough.
Participation in Music GCSEs and A-levels is dropping. Music
Development Plans are falling behind schedule. Teacher
recruitment and retention is becoming more difficult.
“The Liberal Democrats believe we cannot let music become an
afterthought in our schools. That is why we are calling for arts
and music education to be included in the English
Baccalaureate.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
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The Liberal Democrat motion can be found here.
