Swinney should act now on school music

MARIANNE Taylor ("Postcode lottery for free school music lessons must end", The Herald, April 23) is right to highlight the importance and value of music tuition. At present, approaching 62,000 children receive instrumental or vocal lessons on a weekly basis in Scotland's schools. Many of these pupils go on to take part in local authority orchestras, bands and choirs, enhancing their playing and singing abilities and contributing to the cultural development of their communities. The benefits of this go well beyond developing a child's musical potential. Recent research by Sue Hallam, Professor of lifelong learning at the University of London, point to increased performance in literacy, numeracy and social skills for children receiving music tuition. These are precisely the areas that are of the greatest concern to the Scottish Government and, in particular, to the Education Secretary, John Swinney.

The fees charged by local councils for music tuition resemble an embarrassing lottery, rather than an equitable approach to valued and respected local authority music services. The sleight of hand decision by Midlothian Council to charge individual school budgets for children sitting SQA music exams seems to be in defiance of a Scottish Parliament agreement in 2012 that no fees were to be charged for these exams. What is the point of having a Parliament if it is unable or unwilling to enforce its own decisions? It is now time for John Swinney to end his Trappist silence on these issues and begin to address the concerns of pupils, parents and instrumental teachers across Scotland.