Hubbing and the workforce...
A National Plan for Music Education (NPME)? …Hurrah! it’s good to have one...
Published on the 25th November, this plan aims to "enable children 5 to 18 from all backgrounds and every part of England" to have the opportunity to learn an instrument, make music with others, learn to sing and progress "to the next level of excellence". Whether the vision will genuinely squint to the sides enough, (in terms of creativity and diversity of opportunity), that remains to be seen but the plan aspires to be a "flexible template". As you may be aware, the funding will go to local music education hubs, who, in theory, will investigate and respond to what young people need in their local authority areas.
In terms of the music education workforce (my particular area of interest) the hub model offers pros and cons. After nearly 7 years as Director of MusicLeader North West, I believe the biggest issue for freelance music educators is knowing where the work opportunities are and how to engage with them. So, having a 'visible beacon' for music provision is most welcome. Hypothetically, as a result of the NPME, the mainstream route to facilitating music-making with young people should be more clearly defined.
Ideally, the musician will not have to direct their offer at schools but direct it at the hub, which has a responsibility to solicit a range of providers. If the hub can provide a clear way for music educators to engage with its purpose, the hub will attract a wide array of practitioner talent and best practice. As the hubs are required to meet the CPD needs of their own workforce, there could even be a greater (and broader) consensus of what constitutes quality music-making with young people. All good.
However, the concern is that the hub could become a "closed shop", that its workforce pool will be finite and the proposed Music Educator qualification (scheduled for 2013) will become a means to turn more 'alternative' sources of provision away. This is where the leadership of the hubs is paramount. They need to see parity and intrinsic worth in all types of music education. They need to offer musicians consistent terms and conditions (including pay) to make portfolio career management easier to juggle. They need to have open recruitment strategies modeling equal opportunity.
And the music leaders? ..I wish MusicLeader was going to be around after March 2012, if only to be an impartial source of advice and guidance for 'hub engagement'. I think music leaders (more than ever) will have to be able to articulate, and sell, the value that they bring to music education. Professional practice is a no brainer.
It feels like this is the beginning of another (but equally as important) conversation, so I welcome any comment from musicians who want to discuss this further.