Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Apr 2002

Vol. 552 No. 1

Written Answers. - Music Tuition.

Michael Creed

Question:

635 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science the situation regarding access for students in primary and post-primary schools to learning of musical instruments; the financial resources made available by his Department for this purpose; and if his Department will co-operate with a feasibility study (details supplied) which is currently being undertaken on this issue. [11098/02]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

The revised primary curriculum music programme places a clear emphasis on the need to give children in all classes appropriate levels of experience of instrumental music, as listeners and as responders, as makers of music and as composers. Guidance is provided for teachers on ways of approaching such activity and a wide range of experiences is suggested. I have provided primary schools with a grant of €16.50 per pupil to support teaching and learning in the arts, including music.

At post-primary level, the revised syllabuses for both the junior and leaving certificates emphasise three main activities, namely, listening, performing and composing.

Students studying these courses have the opportunity of availing of class-based tuition in an instrument and-or voice, and-or may have lessons outside their school in a college or school of music, or privately. In the first case, my Department pays the salaries of the teachers, so there are normally no tuition costs to the students in these circumstances. In the second situation, pupils can and do learn instruments and-or singing outside their own school. Some of these courses are run by the vocational education committees, which my Department helps to fund, notably, County Cork, City of Dublin – Ballyfermot – and the City of Limerick. These three were the subject of a recent review.

My Department is co-operating with the Music Network Feasibility Study to which the Deputy refers. An assistant chief inspector and a senior inspector from my Department sit on an advisory committee linked to the feasibility study which set out to develop a model of local, community-based schools of music.