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Music in Me commends the release of Report No. 1 from the Joint Select Committee on Arts and Music Education and Training in NSW. This pivotal report underscores the significance of music education and offers recommendations that resonate with Music in Me’s goals, and the broader aims of Music Education: Right from the Start and our colleagues across the music education sector.
The report demonstrably recognises the need for high-quality, sequential, and sustained music education in NSW primary schools. This recognition aligns directly with Music in Me’s core purpose: to enhance access to quality music education in early years and primary school through teacher mentoring.
The report explicitly identifies Music in Me as a successful program, effectively addressing the decline in music education quality in NSW primary schools. This recognition underscores the effectiveness of our unique, tailored mentor professional learning program that builds the skills and confidence of classroom teachers, thus improving the quality of music teaching and learning in primary schools.
Furthermore, the report’s recommendations mirror Music in Me’s strategic objectives:
- Prioritising teacher Professional Learning: The committee advocates for increased investment in professional learning programs to bolster teachers’ confidence and competence in teaching music. Through our collaboration with the NSW Department of Education, and now also with Sydney Catholic Schools, Music in Me is dedicated to providing specialised professional development opportunities for mentors, ensuring a consistent, high-quality delivery of the program.
- Advocating for increased investment: The report recommends increased funding for organisations providing arts and music education, particularly for those reaching vulnerable youth. Music in Me shares this commitment to equity and accessibility, aiming to expand the program’s reach to ensure all students benefit from quality music education.
- Developing a comprehensive Music Education Plan: The report calls for the development of a comprehensive Music Education Plan for NSW, with clear standards, mandated minimum music education time, ambitious access targets, and regular reporting on progress. This recommendation strongly aligns with Music in Me’s vision to enable access to quality music education for every primary school child in Australia.
The inquiry’s findings directly support the recommendations put forward by Alberts: The Tony Foundation’s Music Education: Right from the Start initiative, and many other sector partners. This shared vision between Music in Me, Music Education: Right from the Start, and the inquiry report underscores the collective commitment to systemic change, ensuring all children in NSW have access to quality music education.
Music in Me looks forward to the NSW government’s response to the report’s recommendations and is dedicated to working collaboratively to realise a future where music education flourishes in NSW.