Created on: 30 Oct 2024 | Last modified: 07 Nov 2024
East Renfrewshire EIS Local Association fully supports our colleagues in East Ayrshire's objections to East Ayrshire Council's proposals to transfer Instrumental Music Provision to an arm’s length trust and stands with our colleagues in East Ayrshire in calling on East Ayrshire Council to ensure that the Instrumental Music Service remains an integral part of the education service within its education department
East Renfrewshire EIS Local Association:
We in North Ayrshire stand in support of the Instrumental Music Service in East Ayrshire. This move opposes the commitments of the Scottish Government at the last election. Instead of reducing barriers of access and widening participation this will increase the barriers.
We stand in solidarity with you in this fight.
North Ayrshire Local Association
This is a shameful move by the council to take a department that provides a meaningful and important education service to their young learners.
The benefits of this education service is undisputed in the constant research. To belittle the work and impact that it has on young learners at all stages of education is short sighted but will have long lasting impacts on generations. The Scottish Government has pledged their support and recognise the importance of instrumental music education. It is time local authorities do the same.
Karen Dufour, EIS IMT, East Dunbartonshire
The EIS Salaries Committee sends full solidarity to our IMT members in East Ayrshire as they campaign against efforts to privatise the instrumental music service in the local authority, placing the SNCT terms and conditions and protections that IMTs in Scotland have, at risk. The Salaries Committee has discussed the matter and agreed that the decision to completely alter the employment status of East Ayrshire IMTs, effectively weakening their terms and conditions, is not acceptable and will be raised as a matter of urgency through all relevant SNCT channels. Solidarity with all colleagues who are engaged in this fight.
Des Morris, EIS Salaries Committee Convener
Proposals to move instrumental tuition to an arm’s-length trust are concerning, particularly in the absence of meaningful consultation with trae unions. The proposals jeopardise a Scottish Government manifesto commitment to remove barriers to access.
Sam Ellis, EIS School of Music Rep, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
North Lanarkshire Council Instrumental Music Instructors agree with the EIS Local Authority Councillor's Briefing on Instrumental Music Teachers, fully support our colleagues in East Ayrshire's objections to East Ayrshire Council's proposals and stand with our colleagues in East Ayrshire in calling on East Ayrshire Council to ensure that the Instrumental Music Service remains an integral part of the education service within its education department.
Brian McKenna EIS IMT Rep for North Lanarkshire
I am writing to you in support of your Local Association’s work to protect instrumental music teachers and the service itself in East Ayrshire. The value of music education and in particular instrumental music teaching to the educational outcomes of children and their wider development is well known and understood. And yet, the Scottish Government continues to fail to deliver its 2021 manifesto commitments, this failure has emboldened East Ayrshire council to draw up plans for the removal of the instrumental service to an arm’s length trust and will take away Instrumental Music teachers SNCT contractual conditions of service and threatens their eligibility for GTCS registration.
Edinburgh Local Association and its Executive committee whole heartedly support your fight against this egregious move. An injury to one is an injury to all.
In solidarity.
Phill Pearce, EIS Edinburgh Local Association President
We in Fife stand with East Ayrshire and send a message of solidarity to them in their fight against these moves to transfer the Instrumental Music Service from the local authority’s Education Department to an arm’s length trust. This move would effectively privatise this provision and fundamentally undermine key Scottish Government manifesto commitments to raise the status of Instrumental Music Tuition as a key element of Education. If the move is approved, it will mean a poorer service to pupils and schools. Sending our solidarity to everyone campaigning against this anti-democratic attack on our working conditions. We need to hold the SNP to account on all its manifesto commitments.
Unity is Strength
EIS Fife Local Association
We are very worried about the situation you find yourselves, and we all hope for a positive outcome. Hopefully the council will see sense and vote this motion out later today. Moving the entire music service from the education service to an outside leisure trust is a bizarre move that must not be allowed to go ahead. We wish you luck with the vote. We all stand in solidarity with you in the fight against this proposal.
Hold fast.
Louie Macleod - IMT Rep, Western Isles
We stand behind all Instrumental Music Teachers in East Ayrshire. The proposal to move the Instrumental Music Service to an arms-length trust suggests that IMTs are not an integral part of learners education, and goes against the current Scottish Government manifesto commitments. We cannot be there in person to support you today but we will be in our own schools continuing the imperative work of IMTs across Scotland.
EIS Instructor Representative - West Lothian
We, the GVCCB, wanted to add our voice in support of keeping music tuition firmly within the council. We understand financial cuts will have to be made to the service, but making fair and equitable cuts to the service would be preferable to handing the entire system over. This risks privatisation, alienation of deprived children and widening the attainment gap.
Music education is proven to result in raised attainment in other core curricular areas and losing control of this would be a mistake.
The importance of having free access to playing a musical instrument promotes inclusion, would give children that may not be able to afford lessons the opportunity. Music promotes wellbeing, brain activity, teamwork, discipline and focus. As a community band, playing an instrument isn’t just about the musical aspect but the social aspect as well of meeting new people, playing with a diverse range of people which if free lessons weren’t available this may not be possible. Taking the free tuition aspect away from music would be devastating as a whole bunch of children are being excluded straight away, who would strive from being in a supportive learning environment.
Garnock Valley Community Concert Band
As a teacher in Aberdeenshire, I was greatly concerned to learn that instrumental music provision is to be transferred to a trust in East Ayrshire. Having spent the vast majority of my career in England, I know only too well of the impacts “privatisation through the back door” has on pupils, communities and staff. This short term fix will prove to be irreversible and will set a concerning trend for the rest of Scotland resulting, potentially, in the impacts we see south of the border: loss of participation, reduced uptake for the study of music in national qualifications and the perception that music is exclusively within the domain of the wealthy.
I recall with great fondness, my time in Ayr with NYSOS as a youth, where I met friends with whom I still maintain contact. Without lessons in school, my parents could not have provided those opportunities and, in turn, without such opportunities I would not have developed holistic skills such as concentration, resilience and even dexterity. Such opportunities must be made available to as many young people as possible today as in the past. Failure to do so will have a profound impact on the cultural life in Ayrshire for generations to come.
Mike Couzin
As we can attest, music is a powerful positive influence throughout our lives. Music brings us together, gives us a creative outlet in a busy world and brings us so much joy. It would be cruel to deprive the next generation of this same positivity.
Sending a message of solidarity to all EIS Instrumental Music Instructors in East Ayrshire. These proposals are insane. They go against the Scottish Government's commitments made to Instrumental Music Instruction across Scotland in 2021.
Stay strong and remember you are not alone.
Frances Campbell - EIS Music Instructor Rep - Moray
Sending support from NASUWT Isle of Man. Scotland has been leading the way in terms of professional recognition for Instrumental Music Teachers. These teachers are experts in their field and their contribution to the development of young people is invaluable. Privatising music tuition in schools will adversely affect young learners, in particular those from families that are less well off.
Garry Reynolds, NASUWT
I am deeply concerned to learn that East Ayrshire Council is considering proposals to move East Ayrshire Instrumental Service from the local authority’s Education Department to an arm’s length trust. This would effectively privatise the provision of instrumental music tuition in East Ayrshire and fundamentally undermine key Scottish Government manifesto commitments made in 2021; to raise the status of Instrumental Music Tuition as a key element of education and to remove barriers to access. I wholeheartedly believe that music and creativity should be part of a first-class education and available to everyone, whatever their background. If this proposal from East Ayrshire Council goes ahead, we will take a huge step backwards in achieving equitable access to free instrumental music provision for all children and young people in the area. I urge you not to go down this road and to consider the impact it will have on East Ayrshire’s young people and teachers.
Nicola Benedetti
The EIS Instrumental Music Teachers Network stands in solidarity with colleagues in East Ayrshire as they face the possibility of being removed from Education Services to an arm's length charity. As Instrumental Music Teachers, we forge lifelong skills for our young musicians, who go on to bring invaluable dedication, commitment and strength to the workforce of our country, learned only from the discipline they have developed through constant high standards and expectations of learning to play a musical instrument. Undervaluing the immense educational benefits for primary school aged pupils who learn music, by suggesting that only “SQA” counts as “education” shows a real lack of understanding of what our service is, and what it provides not only to music education but to education as a whole. It also undermines the Scottish government’s manifesto commitments.
We cannot be there with you in person, but we stand with you and will be loud & proudly educating our young musicians in our schools tomorrow as a mark of solidarity.
EIS IMT Network
The proposal to move the East Ayrshire music service to an arm’s length trust is hugely worrying for the staff and pupils in that region. It shows a real lack of understanding of how music tuition is delivered, and the partnership IMT’s have with school music departments and the wider school community. To remove it from Education services makes no sense.
It should also be of major concern to all other IMS staff in other regions as this is not a route any of us want to go down and if accepted, would set a worrying precedent!
Keep fighting the fight- I’m sorry I can’t be be with you in person tomorrow to join your protest, but I’ll be with you in spirt and fully back your campaign!!
Fran Barker - Perth and Kinross IMT
Dear East Ayrshire Council’s Instrumental Music Service,
We express our unwavering support for you in the face of the proposals which, if passed, would see the East Ayrshire Instrumental Music Service transferred from the local authority’s Education Department to an arm’s length trust, effectively privatising this provision.
Music education enriches the lives of students and strengthens our communities, providing opportunities for personal growth and social connection. Removing these essential services undermines the importance of arts education in fostering well-rounded individuals. We stand with you in advocating for the preservation and enhancement of this service, ensuring that every child has the chance to explore their musical talents.
Let’s work together to protect the future of music education.
Midlothian EIS
Inverclyde EIS stands with our Instrumental Music Teacher members in their fight against East Ayrshire Council's proposal to move their service to an arms-length trust.
This proposal undermines the Scottish Government's manifesto commitment to our IMT colleagues, and we send our solidarity to them.
Inverclyde Local Assocation
Aberdeenshire Local Association stands solidly behind Instrumental Music Teachers in East Ayrshire. The proposal to effectively privatise the Instrumental Music Service removes the status of IMTs as an integral part of learners education provision in East Ayrshire. If the SNP led council ploughs on with this proposal then it will fail to meet the SNP manifesto commitment to abolish music tuition fees and to mainstream the subject as a core part of the curriculum.
We implore East Ayrshire not to proceed with this plan and we offer solidarity to all Instrumental Music Teachers in East Ayrshire.
Aberdeenshire Local Assocation
Standing alongside you, as you stand up for instrumental and vocal education, not just in East Ayrshire Council, but in all of Scotland's schools. Music education matters. Good luck to you all.
Alastair Orr
We at Aberdeen city music service stand in solidarity with our colleagues in East Ayrshire and support them in their fight against this move to transfer. Even though we are not able to stand with you physically we stand in solidarity with all of you in your opposition to privatisation of music services.
Alexander Gregory - EIS Representative Aberdeen City Music Service.
I would like to add my voice in support of the Instrumental Music teachers continuing to be a part of the education department of East Ayrshire council. They are a dedicated, professional group of people who provide an invaluable service to the young people in East Ayrshire. I hope the elected members of the council vote to maintain and support the music service in its current from.
Denis Kane, Instrumental music teacher, North Lanarkshire Council
Teaching children how to play musical instruments, and to sing, has for decades been one of the jewels in the crown of Scottish primary and secondary education, with proven educational benefits, not to mention careers for those who wish to enter the music industry and profession. 6 years ago 12,000 parents and others signed a petition to the Scottish Parliament seeking improved recognition for, and access to, this vital school education service. Huge progress has been made since, with every political party in Scotland in support. Moving education services into local charities is completely inappropriate. We must articulate our views to all decision makers about how strongly we believe in the unique ability of schools to provide access to all the opportunities education brings - in all subjects, including music. I stand in solidity with the instrumental and vocal teachers at this critical juncture.
Ralph Riddiough
Dear East Ayrshire Council Instrumental Music Service,
We stand in solidarity with you against the proposed cuts to Instrumental Music Services. Music education plays a crucial role in fostering creativity, discipline, and emotional expression in our young people. The removal of these services would be a disservice to our communities and to the future of arts education. We support your efforts to advocate for the value of music in our schools and encourage all stakeholders to recognize the importance of maintaining and enhancing these vital programs.
Together, let us ensure that the music continues to thrive in our education system.
Scottish Borders LA Executive
Dear colleagues
I fully support you and the desperate need for government / councils to recognise and reinforce the value of music and the Music Services within our schools and the curriculum.
I wish you all the best for a positive outcome for you all.
Polly Beck, Vocal Instructor, Inverclyde Music Services
All local authority Music Services are part of the 70+ membership of the Music Education Partnership Group (MEPG). This extensive network across the music sector in Scotland offers an opportunity to share expertise on the content and delivery of music education, instruction, and performance.
Whilst MEPG has no political axe to grind and are fully aware of the financial issues facing education authorities, our fundamental purpose is to ensure that pupils benefit from the music programmes delivered by well trained and motivated teachers and instructors.
Although East Ayrshire did not take up our earlier offer to discuss the proposals for the realignment of the Instrumental Music Services, the information available so far seems lacking in both the educational and musical benefits to pupils and the employment benefits to staff.
Music Education Partnership Group (MEPG)