In February, the Scottish Executive announced it would allocate £17.5 million to local authorities to give every primary school student the chance to take a year of free music lessons. The announcement followed the publication of an audit of youth music tuition in Scotland, What’s Going On?, which found fees were one of the perceived barriers to children learning an instrument.
The report, carried out by the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD), was commissioned by the Scottish Arts Council (SAC), Youth Music and the Musicians’ Union. Nod Knowles, SAC Head of Music, explains that the Scottish Executive has now placed responsibility for distributing the music tuition funds into the hands of the council. According to Knowles, the SAC will undertake an in-depth review of tuition services offered by Scotland’s 32 local authorities, to identify gaps in provision, and determine the most effective ways of allocating the funds.
