Comment on Government response to the Music Inquiry

It has been a little over a week now since the Napthine Government tabled their response to the Inquiry into Music Education.

On the whole the response can only we seen as positive – each of the 17 recommendations were accepted in full or in principle.   Additionally, there is a commitment to continue a process of consultation on a number of the recommendations. 

We welcome the fact that the Government supports in full or in principle each of the 17 inquiry recommendations.  We welcome the fact that the DEECD will begin work on some of the recommendations and that stakeholder consultation will take place on others.  sMAG is willing to work with Government and the DEECD to fully develop the recommendations and their implementation as stakeholders.  We encourage the Government to further develop policies consistent with the recommendations and identify and allocate resources to the implementation of the recommendations in the coming weeks and months.  We urge Government to include the inquiry recommendations in their 2014 education policy and we urge government to insist upon meaningful data collection and accountability processes which will underpin all further strategic improvement planning. Any improvement implementation plan is incumbent upon meaningful data collection in order to allocate resources in a fiscal manner. It is crucial that we identify lags and strengths in order to form a foundation for all other implementation policies to be successful. 

There are though a number of things that we can do and are being done by the Co-Chairs and committee as follows:

1/ We have written to all MPs in both Liberal and Labor parties calling their attention to the inquiry and results.

2/  We are engaging with the DEECD. 

3/  We are seeking to brief the Opposition on the issue.

5/  We are developing some positive media around the issue.   A review of practices can often result in improvement strategies being delivered – which is what we wish to accentuate.  We believe that acceptance of the Inquiry allows us to demonstrate positive stories and we should seek to demonstrate the good things a number of schools have and argue that this should be the norm not the exception.  Should you have a positive story to tell about what successful implementation of the recommendations would mean to your school/area we would be pleased to hear from you via smag.schoolmusicactoingroup@gmail.com

The Music Trust continues their National campaign for signatures to this petition https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/full-deal. Please support them by sharing the link Facebook, Liking their page: https://www.facebook.com/musictrust  and adding on Twitter @ @Full_Deal_AU
The director of The Music Trust - Richard Letts, was on Radio National on May 24th.

Radio National interview with Dick Letts was repeated on Sat May 24th at 10 pm, or you can listen to playback online:http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/musicshow/music-education3a-in-crisis3f/5475520