Our hope is that the rich report with full support of the music education profession, will be adopted by the Victorian parliament, and that the recommendations will be fully funded and implemented. :-)
Guests challenged all to get the report in the press, and summarized for principals - this can be done online #musicedforum
Dr. Anne Lierse's opening address:
Open Forum
The
Victorian Music In Schools Inquiry:
The
way forward for music education in Victoria
Introduction
from Chair
Dr.
Anne Lierse
Welcome
Mrs Jan Kronberg MLC Chair of the Parliamentary Committee
Mr Colin Brooks MP Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary
Committee
Helen Champion from the VCAA
Professor Gary McPherson our host today
Professor Brian Caldwell from Educational Transformations
and Ambassador of sMAG
Partners: Kevin Kelly from AMUSE, Carl Stevens from
Australian Council of Education, and Music
Matters
Principals, University leaders, teachers and members of the
Music Community
I welcome you here this afternoon to this most important
Forum on the future of Music Education in Victorian schools, and I thank you
for your support by being here today.
I would firstly like to introduce you to my colleagues who
will be presenting this Forum today, and I would also like to take this
opportunity to thank them sincerely for their incredible support for music
education, and for their most valued contribution to sMAG.
Professor Gary McPherson: Ormond Chair and director of the
Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at the University of Melbourne
Associate Professor Robin Stevens: Principal Fellow of the
Conservatorium of Music at the University of Melbourne
Principal Ray Yates from Monbulk Primary School
Kevin Kelly: Executive Director of AMUSE
Carl Williams: Instrumental Music Coordinator DEECD
Carl Stevens: Australian College of Educators
Catherine Lyons – Head of Music at Camberwell South P.S
Ian Harvey – Music Council of Australia and Music Futures
We are here today to accept and respond to the Report from
the Parliamentary Education and Training Committee’s Inquiry into the extend,
benefits and potential of music education in Victorian schools presented to
Parliament in Nov 2013.
Those of you who have had a chance to read this Report will,
I am sure, like to join with me in expressing appreciation to the committee for
their serious engagement with the issues brought to them, for their
comprehensive evaluation of the issues, and for this excellent Report which
historically will serve as a Report on the state of music education in schools in
Victoria at this point of time.
We would also like to show appreciation to the members of
the Department and Early Childhood Development. and to the Victorian Curriculum
Assessment Authority for taking our concerns seriously enough to initiate this
Parliamentary Enquiry.
Our biggest challenge is to ensure that this Report will not
find its way onto a shelf in a library as others past reports have done. Indeed
we have had major Reports every decade since Graham Bartle’s Report titled ‘Music in Australian Schools’ was
commissioned in 1968. The latest is, of
course, the National Review into School Music Education (2005), which many of
you here today contributed to.
Why is this Report so
important, and why do we believe music education should be part of the core
curriculum for every child?
There is a substantial body of National and International
research that supports the inclusion of music as a core subject in the
curriculum, and much of this has been recognised in this Report. Arguments put
forward are both intrinsic and extrinsic and we had hoped these arguments would
have translated into even more powerful policy recommendations.
Allow me to share with you just three arguments which
support this premise:
1.
Firstly from Plato:
Music is moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. Plato proposed a system of public education
consisting of gymnastics for the discipline of the body, and music for the
discipline of the mind.
2. A quotation
from a Queensland research study conducted by Bruce May
An effective music
education is of intrinsic value to a person’s well-being and richness in life.
A study of music enables us to experience all that is human as it inspires,
turns on our senses and emotions, opens our minds, and reaches into our inner
selves. Music study also enhances self-esteem, builds self-confidence and self-discipline,
and encourages respect from others. It also enhances the quality of life. To
participate fully in one’s culture, a child should develop the musical
knowledge and skills that are inherent in a quality music education.
3. A most
contemporary philosophy is offed by our esteemed ambassador Richard Gill, who
writes:
“We teach music
because it is unique and good. We teach music so that our children can make
their own music. We teach music because it acts in a unique way on the heart,
mind, soul and spirit of the child, stimulating thought and imagination in a
very special way.”
We need to ask why we continue to deprive most of our
children of a Music Education and why it is sidelined in our curriculum and in many of our
schools. Music education is not a
‘frill’ but an essential element in to total development of the child. This is
indeed one of the important issues that the School Music Action Group (sMAG) is
grappling with, and one of the major issues of this Inquiry
Before I introduce our guest speaker, may I first take a
couple of minutes to give you a brief overview of the work of the advocacy
group The schools Music Action group.
The formation of sMAG was a Victorian Response to the
enormous concern for the state of music education in Victorian Schools, and the
need to implement the recommendations from the National Review of School Music
Education (2005) in the Victorian context.
It was formed following the Victorian Workshop in 2007 which
was hosted by Principal Jeremy Ludowyke from Melbourne High School. The Workshop was titled ‘School Music Education for every child- Promoting a world-class music
education’
Key speakers included Senator the Honourable Rod Kemp, The
Hon Mr Phil Davis MP, and Dr.Richard Gill gave the Keynote address.
The Proceedings and the Recommendation are documented in the
Victorian Workshop Report which can be accessed on the sMAG Blog.
sMAG brings together representatives of the key music
education community including teachers and principals, as well as
representatives from the tertiary music and education sectors, music/arts
bodies and the music industry.
The purpose of sMAG
is to unify the music education sector and its stakeholders.
Its Mission is to
work cooperatively with the State and Federal governments to ensure that the recommendations
of the National Review of School Music Education (NRSME) are adopted and
implemented throughout the State of Victoria.
Our Vision is that
every child in Victorian Schools participates in a quality music education that
is taught by professionally trained music teachers.
What we have done
1.
Published The Music Workshop Report which
contains recommendations for actions for the Government and the music sector
2.
Held two open Forums on the Australian
curriculum to respond to the ACAR’s Shape Paper and Draft of the Australian
Curriculum for the Arts.
3.
Worked closely with Dick Letts from the Music
Council of Australia contributing to the development of music education policy
and advocacy
4.
Developed partnerships and consulted with the
music community
5.
Developed advocacy statements and the collection
of relevant research supporting music education in schools.
6.
Developed a strategic plan for for the effective
delivery of music education in Victorian schools. initiated seven meetings with
DEECD including the Minister of Education, and with staff of the VCAA
7.
Presented a Submission to the Parliamentary
Inquiry and attended Hearings
The program for today
As you will see in your program, we are honoured to have the
Chair of the Parliamentary Committee Ms Jan Kronberg address you. This will be
followed by Professor Brian Caldwell who will respond to the Report before you
will have an opportunity to speak in the Open Forum.
What happens after this Forum?
We are inviting all here today to write your comments on the
Follow-up sheet we have distributed.
Along with the recording we are making of the proceedings today, we will
be using these to assist in the development of a response to this Parliamentary
Report to be forwarded to the Education and Training Committee.
There will be a follow-up meeting n mid February where we will;
1.
Form a new sMAG committee and appoint an executive
committee
2.
Consider the draft Response to the Report
3.
Raise any salient issues
4.
Commence the development of an Action Plan for
the implementation of the Report.
We welcome everyone who would be interested in attending. Details will be posted on the sMAG Blog and
Facebook.
It is now my pleasure to introduce you the chair of the
Parliamentary Committee Mrs Jan Kronberg who so kindly accepted our invitation
to address you at this Forum.
Jan Kronberg MLC s the Liberal member for Eastern
Metropolitan Region. She is a former
marketing lecturer at Box Hill Institute, and is experienced in business
management and education.
Please welcome Jan Kronberg MLC.
