Sheeran's call to improve music ed praised by school

Yahoo

24-03-2025

The headteacher of Ed Sheeran's former secondary school has praised the singer's call to improve music education.
Sheeran, backed by other artists including Annie Lennox, Harry Styles and Sir Elton John, has written to the government pushing for funding to offer children from all backgrounds musical opportunities.
Philip Hurst, head of Thomas Mills High in Framlingham, Suffolk, said he had seen a "dismantling of county music services" over the past 30 years and believed in Sheeran's push.
A government spokesperson said it was "committed to ensuring art, music and drama are no longer the preserve of a privileged few".
Sheeran's letter called for a £250 million UK education package this spring "to repair decades of dismantling music".
The letter cited a 2019 report from the British Phonographic Industry which found there had been a 21% decrease in music provision over five years in state schools.
"Music in and out of school should be for all, not a few," the letter added.
"We understand that there are many pressures. As artists, civil society and industry, we want to be part of the solution."
Born in Yorkshire and raised in Suffolk, Sheeran has had 14 UK number one singles and eight UK number one albums, after beginning his career in 2004.
"[Through] My career, which has spanned three decades, I've seen the dismantling of county music services - everything has to be about efficiencies," Mr Hurst told BBC Radio Suffolk.
"Quite frankly, it seems to me that people think spending money on instruments is not efficient."
He continued: "All those signatories to it, I think they are very powerful and it's good timing -the government are at a change with education.
"We've got a national curriculum review going on, Ofsted have come under scrutiny and are looking to adapt their ways and practices.
"It could just be that it makes people sit up and think, and it really should."
A government spokeswoman said its Curriculum and Assessment Review would break down barriers to opportunity, while its new National Centre for Music and Arts Education would "promote opportunities" for young people to pursue artistic and creative interests in school.
The government is set to put a further £2.3bn into schools' budgets, with £1bn for children and young people with high needs.
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British Phonographic Industry
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