The MU and teachers believe that the planned local council cuts will lead to the loss of quality music teaching for young people living in rural areas.
On the 26 April, the MU joined up to 250 protestors in a rally and open air concert in St Thomas’ Square, Newport, Isle of Wight.
The event was organised in response to councillor Steve Priest’s comments on BBC South Today saying he would be ‘looking for musicians in the area to teach our children as volunteers as there are many people who can play instruments’.
Diane Widdison, the MU’s national organiser for education and training, said: ‘As part of this Government’s idea of “Big Society” they appear to think that they can use the newly set up Music Hubs as a smokescreen for cutting teachers’ jobs.
‘Music teachers are highly trained, skilled professionals and the idea that they can adequately be replaced with volunteers is absurd and can only be detrimental to the young people of the area.’
For more information, please visit http://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/
On the 26 April, the MU joined up to 250 protestors in a rally and open air concert in St Thomas’ Square, Newport, Isle of Wight.
The event was organised in response to councillor Steve Priest’s comments on BBC South Today saying he would be ‘looking for musicians in the area to teach our children as volunteers as there are many people who can play instruments’.
Diane Widdison, the MU’s national organiser for education and training, said: ‘As part of this Government’s idea of “Big Society” they appear to think that they can use the newly set up Music Hubs as a smokescreen for cutting teachers’ jobs.
‘Music teachers are highly trained, skilled professionals and the idea that they can adequately be replaced with volunteers is absurd and can only be detrimental to the young people of the area.’
For more information, please visit http://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/
