Inquiry Into the Extent, Benefits and Potential of Music Education in Victorian Schools
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Education and Training Committee Inquiry into the extent, benefits and potential of music education in Victorian schools ORDERED TO BE PRINTED November 2013 by Authority Victorian Government Printer Parliamentary paper No. 277 Session 2010–2013 Parliament of Victoria Education and Training Committee Inquiry into the extent, benefits and potential of music education in Victorian schools This report is also available at www.parliament.vic.gov.au/etc Printed on 100% recycled paper ISBN 978-0-9871154-2-3 ISBN 978-0-9871154-3-0 Electronic ii Contents Contents ............................................................................................................................. iii List of figures ................................................................................................................... viii List of case studies ............................................................................................................. x Committee membership ................................................................................................... xii Functions of the Committee ............................................................................................ xiii Terms of reference ........................................................................................................... xiii Chair’s foreword .............................................................................................................. xiv Executive summary ......................................................................................................... xvi List of key findings .......................................................................................................... xxi List of recommendations.......................................................................................... xxixxiv Glossary ....................................................................................................................... xxviii Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 The scope of this Inquiry ............................................................................................ 3 1.1.1 Terms of reference........................................................................................... 3 1.1.2 What did the Committee examine? .................................................................. 3 1.2 An overview of school music education ..................................................................... 4 1.3 The context of this Inquiry .......................................................................................... 4 1.3.1 Music: An essential part of every child’s education .......................................... 5 1.3.2 Challenges schools face in delivering music education .................................... 5 Challenges delivering classroom music education ............................... 6 Challenges delivering instrumental music programs ............................. 6 1.3.3 The policy context ............................................................................................ 7 1.3.4 What other work has been done in this area? .................................................. 8 1.4 The Inquiry process ................................................................................................... 8 1.5 Outline of this report .................................................................................................. 9 Chapter 2: The value and benefits of music education 2.1 The value of music education .................................................................................. 12 2.1.1 The role of music in children’s lives ................................................................ 12 2.1.2 The intrinsic value of music education ........................................................... 13 2.2 The benefits of music education for students ........................................................... 14 2.2.1 The impact of music education on student engagement and wellbeing .......... 14 2.2.2 The impact of music education on personal and social development ............. 17 2.2.3 The impact of music education on learning in other subject areas ................. 17 2.2.4 The benefits of music education for students with additional learning needs .. 20 iii Inquiry into the extent, benefits and potential of music education in Victorian schools Indigenous students ............................................................................ 20 Gifted and talented students ................................................................ 22 Students with a disability ..................................................................... 23 2.3 The benefits of music education for schools ............................................................ 24 2.4 The benefits of music for the wider community ........................................................ 26 2.4.1 The economic contribution of music ............................................................... 26 The economic contribution of the music industry ................................. 26 Music’s contribution to the broader economy ...................................... 29 2.4.2 The social and cultural contribution of music .................................................. 29 2.5 The value and benefits of music education—The Committee’s view ........................ 31 Chapter 3: An overview of school music education in Victoria 3.1 The curriculum framework for school music education ............................................. 33 3.1.1 Music in the curriculum from Foundation to Year 10 .................................... ..33 3.1.2 Music in the senior secondary curriculum ...................................................... 35 Music in the VCE ................................................................................. 35 Music and the VET in Schools program .............................................. 35 3.2 The funding framework for school music education ................................................. 36 3.2.1 The funding context ....................................................................................... 36 3.2.2 Funding for music in the curriculum ............................................................... 37 3.2.3 Funding for instrumental music programs ...................................................... 37 3.3 Current music education programs and provisions .................................................. 38 3.3.1 The scope of music education in Victoria ....................................................... 38 Data on music education provision ...................................................... 38 The scope of music education in primary schools ............................... 39 The scope of music education in secondary schools ........................... 40 3.3.2 An overview of the delivery of school music education ................................... 42 3.3.3 Key music programs and provisions .............................................................. 49 Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School .................................. 49 School specialisation ........................................................................... 49 Strategic Partnerships Program .......................................................... 50 3.4 Music education in independent and Catholic schools ............................................. 52 Chapter 4: The future direction of school music education in Victoria 4.1 Is the current provision of music education meeting the needs of Victorian students? ................................................................................................................. 56 4.1.1 The quality of music education in Victorian schools ....................................... 56 What constitutes a quality music education? ....................................... 56 The current quality of classroom music education ............................... 57 iv Contents The current quality of instrumental music programs ............................ 60 The availability of music facilities and equipment to support quality music education .................................................................................. 61 The quality of music education in Victorian schools—The Committee’s view ..................................................................................................... 62 4.1.2 Do all Victorian students currently have equitable access to music education? ..................................................................................................... 64 Rural and regional students................................................................. 64 Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds .................................. 66 Do all Victorian students currently have access to music education?— The Committee’s view ......................................................................... 68 4.1.3 Are the music education needs of students with special needs being met? ... 69 Indigenous students ............................................................................ 69 Gifted and talented students ................................................................ 71 Students with disabilities ..................................................................... 72 Are the needs of students with special needs being met?—The Committee’s view ................................................................................ 72 4.2 Strengthening school music education in Victoria ...................................................