§ 21. Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to protect and enhance the opportunity for young people to learn music and to develop choral and orchestral skills.
§ Mr. ForthThe final order for music in the national curriculum, which is now before the House, secures, for the first time, the place of practical music-making for all pupils aged between five and 14. It provides for children to learn to perform a wide range of music, both individually and in ensembles, and opportunity for them to develop both choral and orchestral skills.
The Department assists the implementation of the national curriculum through specific grant, and intends to continue its grant this year to Music for Youth, a national organisation which promotes practical music-making in schools.