APPG holds report launch meeting

The APPG held its first meeting of 2019 on Monday 4 February, where it launched its State of the Nation report on music education in England. The report highlights the crisis in music education and the severe impact of Government policy around accountability measures such as the EBacc on music education in schools in England. ​

The meeting, attended by over 80 parliamentarians and leaders in the music education sector, saw widespread agreement on the need for strong action to combat the decline in music education at all levels of the education system. 

In her speech opening the meeting, chair Diana Johnson MP said there was cross-party consensus on the urgent need to for reform to protect music education for future generations. The meeting then heard from Deborah Annetts, Chief Executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians and Duncan Mackrill, Senior Teaching Fellow in Education at the University of Sussex, who discussed the report in greater detail.

The meeting also heard from Carl Ward, Immediate Past President of the Association of School and College Leaders and Chief Executive of the City Learning Trust, who looked at the situation in secondary education, and ​Xhosa Cole, BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year 2018, who discussed his experience of music education in the English state sector and its impact on his career.

​This was followed by a lively discussion of the report and its recommendations. The APPG would like to thank everyone who attended for their contributions.

read the report