The City of Edinburgh Council has proposed a 75% cut to the budget which funds Edinburgh’s instrumental music tuition service and all of the Edinburgh Schools orchestras and ensembles.
If this budget cut is put in place, the hundreds of gifted young musicians, ranging from ages of 7 and 8, right up to 17 and 18 across Edinburgh who learn to play a variety of brass, percussion, woodwind and stringed instruments, and learn to sing through their schools could be forced to start paying for their weekly instrumental lessons.
This could result in many pupils being unable to continue their music tuition, as they simply cannot afford it. I come from a family of four children and three of us have been/are being taught by amazing instrumental teachers who are employed by the Edinburgh Council.
As teachers I think it is important that we see the importance of music on young people’s lives and stand up against higher authorities when they propose that it is not as important as other aspects of the curriculum. It is unfair that something as wonderful as the right to learn an instrument should be taken from those who can’t afford to do so.
This is something that is very close to my heart and I am not someone who often presses petitions on others but I feel that this is a really important issue that we can try and help to fight against. Please take a minute to sign the petition and stand up for music in Edinburgh schools.
