Session Information
04 SES 06 B, Alternative Provision
Paper Session
Contribution
This paper will present the findings of a study funded through the Buck Award by SEMPRE (Society of Education, Music and Psychology Research), United Kingdom. The aim of the research was to determine the extent to which the opportunity to undertake instrumental instruction in Scottish primary schools is an equitable one.
The philosophy of Scotland’s recently introduced new curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is an inclusive one; its stated purpose (LTS,2010) is in line with statements set out in the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) that recognises that every child has unique characteristics, interests, abilities and learning needs, has a right to achieve and should be supported in so doing. This inclusive stance is reflected in guidance given in Supporting Children’s Learning: A Code of Practice (Scottish Government, 2010) on the implementation of the most recent legislation, the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act, 2004 (amended 2009). This guidance makes clear that all children with additional support needs have an entitlement to appropriate support to fulfil their educational potential. Local Authorities and thereby schools and teachers within those authorities have a duty towards all children to ensure equitable educational experiences.
There is a widely held view that learning to play a musical instrument is a valuable experience for all children in terms of their personal growth and development. The largest teaching union in Scotland the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), recently disseminated a Charter for Instrumental Instruction (2010) to every Scottish school outlining that every school pupil in Scotland should have the opportunity to receive specialist tuition on a musical instrument or voice. A Scottish Arts Council commissioned report that investigated the provision for music education in Scotland (SAC, 2003), identified a need for better support of young people with ‘special educational needs’ (sic). A more recent American study (Nabb & Balcetis, 2010) has shown that young people with disabilities are excluded from instrumental music programmes. For many young children this opportunity first arises while at primary school. The opportunity to engage in this type of musical activity at a formative stage should be equitable and not constrained by factors related to cognitive or physical attributes and social and cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1977).
The study sought to determine if there was equality of opportunity for all primary school children to receive instrumental lessons. This involved gathering quantitative data on the number of children in the sample group of Scottish primary schools receiving instrumental instruction, developing a profile of the academic attainment of this group and determining how children with additional support needs were represented in this group. Qualitative data through an analysis of policy and guideline documents and interviews with key stakeholders served to explain and illuminate the quantitative data.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) (2010). Charter for instrumental music. Edinburgh: EIS. Learning Teaching Scotland (LTS) (2010). Curriculum for Excellence: Purposes and aims. Retrieved from http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/curriculumforexcellence/curriculumoverview/aims/inde x.asp on 19/02/10. Nabb, D. & Balcetis, E. (2010). Access to music education: Nebraska band directors’experiences and attitudes regarding students with physical disabilities, Journal of Research in Music Education, 57, (4), 308–319. Patton, M.Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage. Ritchie, J., Spencer, L., & O’Connor, W. (2005). Carrying out qualitative analysis. in J. Ritchie, & J. Lewis, (Eds.) Qualitative research practice- A guide for social science students and researchers. London: Sage. Scottish Arts Council, (SAC) (2003). What’s going on? A national audit of youth music in Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Arts Council. Scottish Government (2010). Supporting children’s learning: Code of practice. Available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/08/11140218/0 UNESCO (1994). The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education. Paris: UNESCO.
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