· Only
33% of private teachers and 40% of peripatetic teachers and
visiting music teachers raised fees in 2019, while fee rates
declined in teachers employed by schools
· Respondents
reported being unable to raise fees due to affordability of
lessons for many families
· The
2019 survey has several new category additions including holiday
pay, examining and children taught
The ISM’s annual survey of teaching and accompanying rates has
revealed a profession under pressure against a backdrop of budget
cuts, the marginalisation of music and Brexit, as rates fail to
increase in line with the cost of living for the fourth year in a
row.
Within the survey results, teachers reported being unable
to raise their rates due to financial pressures on families as
the cost of living continues to rise. Others reported carrying
out unpaid work as music education hubs and schools struggle with
shrinking budgets.
Comments from respondents included:
‘Pay levels and increases offered by music hubs seem to
be operating at an absolutely minimal level probably due to the
marginalisation of music in schools.’
‘I continue to keep my fees low
as generally people can't afford much where I live.’
‘Parents struggling to pay £30 per hour or £7.50 for a
joint half hour lesson in schools - no chance of increase in
fees.’
‘Need to raise fees but know families can’t afford it
as housing costs so much. Taught 60-hour weeks before 2008
recession but do well to get 10 hours now as families need more
money for rent / high house prices.’
‘I have to do quite a lot of unpaid work as school
cannot afford to pay me for all the work I do. This is usually
accompanying choirs/concerts/exam but also some
teaching.’
‘Since Brexit pupil numbers have changed - a number of
my pupils have returned to Europe.’
‘Pupil numbers seem to be going down especially when
parents have to pay. I put this down to anxiety over the effects
of Brexit.’
Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the Incorporated
Society of Musicians said:
‘Respondents to the ISM’s annual fees survey have not
only told us their fees have scarcely risen – as little as 27p in
some cases – but also the workforce continues to be under
significant pressure against a backdrop of budget cuts and the
marginalisation of music.
We know from the significant wealth of research
available – including the ISM’s The Future of Music Education
report and the APPG for Music Education’s State of the Nation
report which the ISM co-authored – that the position of music
teachers within schools, especially those who are self-employed
VMTs, is becoming increasingly difficult. Music provision
continues to fall for a variety of policy reasons. This is making
access to music education increasingly problematic.
The Government is currently consulting on the future of
music education, including the future refresh of the National
Plan for Music Education, with a call for evidence. They are
seeking views from musicians, classroom teachers, young people
and parents. We urge everyone who cares about music education to
respond to this call for evidence before it closes on 13 March
2020. See the call for evidence at gov.uk/government/consultations/music-education-call-for-evidence.
It is essential that music teachers, like every other
profession, have access to fair employment conditions and are
properly remunerated for the time, skill and hard work that goes
into doing what they do.’
These latest survey results include several new category
additions including holiday pay, examining rates, group tuition
and children taught.
