Music Education Council (MEC)

MEC welcomes the Government's continuing commitment to music education

We are delighted that the Government has recognised the importance of music education and wants all schools to provide a high quality music education as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. The Plan is a welcome attempt to give better structures and a more cohesive approach to music education and MEC is pleased to see that partnership working lies at the heart of the government's vision for music education.

We welcome the Government's recognition of the importance of learning a musical instrument, ensuring that every child sings regularly and providing opportunities to play in ensembles and perform.

MEC recognises the challenges presented by the reduced levels of funding and the rapid pace at which the new music education hubs are expected to take forward the work of local authority music services. It will do all it can to support the sector in developing new ways of working together to meet these challenges in the interests of the music education of all young people.

The Government's recognition that high quality music education is a vital part of the school curriculum is also welcome and MEC calls on the National Curriculum Review Team to act on this assertion. We also call on the Government to review the English Baccalaureate, as called on by the CBI, Education Select Committee, Henley Review of Music Education in England and other bodies.