Madam,

I write regarding the proposed changes to the county music service following the release of the document ‘Principles of the new music service structure’ and the council meeting of 9 May.

There are many questions arising which need answering. Here is just a selection:

1. 'Ensuring that pupils who wish to have access to the music service have opportunity to do so'. How does the council propose to achieve this with a cut in core teacher numbers to six?

The current provision is just under 10 full-time staff and this is really the bare minimum required to keep the full range of instruments on offer and to cover a county of this size. It is essential that children are given access to music tuition at an early age: without this the service will collapse.

There is a suggestion that pupils could be taught at ‘regional hubs’ but this in itself is discriminatory against pupils living in rural areas and has many problems.

Children will need to travel. How? Will it be during school time (eating into learning time), or after school? What about those who use school buses?

2. 'Improvement and Expansion of the Service'. It is proposed to continue provision for voice, strings, woodwind, brass, harp, percussion and to introduce piano and ukulele. How many different disciplines is each staff member supposed to teach?

Given funding is being cut by at least £250,000 per annum this is ludicrously unrealistic. The new model relies on a certain level of uptake, which is by no means guaranteed given the suggested changes.

3. 'Ensuring that collective opportunities such as ensembles, orchestra and choirs continue'. This is an essential part of the provision and is what differentiates between private lessons in isolation and lessons with a school music service.

The proposals list only some of the current ensembles, omitting intermediate level completely and also senior strings.

Without the current staged progression from junior through intermediate to senior the standard will slip and less students will be able to participate. Is it proposed that some of these ensembles are discontinued or is this simply an omission?

4. 'New terms and conditions of employment for music service members and staff'. After awarding themselves a two per cent pay rise, it seems fairly remarkable that the council would consider it acceptable to downgrade employment terms and conditions for the music service staff.

Without attractive employment terms it will be extremely difficult to attract staff to our rural county.

No integrated impact assessment has been carried out. The county council claims these changes are simply ‘alterations to the delivery model’.

To me this seems like another example of the gradual undermining and erosion of an excellent service to a level where it becomes substandard or there are so few using it that the council can claim “no-one wants it any more.”

At the council meeting on 9 May, the vote was nine to five to delay these changes until there was more information. I hope that some time will be spent on an in-depth consultation.

Yours etc, Helen Hicks, Llangynfelyn.

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