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Music‌ ‌Education‌

Music Education is in Crisis

There‌ ‌is‌ ‌intrinsic‌ ‌and‌ ‌extrinsic‌ ‌value‌ ‌in‌ ‌music‌ ‌and‌ ‌music‌ ‌education.‌ ‌Some‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌main‌ ‌areas‌ ‌where‌ music‌ ‌and‌ ‌music‌ ‌education‌ ‌is‌ ‌valuable‌ ‌is‌ ‌in‌ ‌personal‌ ‌and‌ ‌social‌ ‌development,‌ ‌in‌ ‌enhanced/relational‌ 
educational‌ ‌development;‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌wide‌ ‌range‌ ‌of‌ ‌industries‌ ‌and‌ ‌economic‌ ‌sectors,‌ ‌including‌ ‌health,‌ caring‌ ‌entertainment,‌ ‌arts‌ ‌etc.‌
 
This‌ ‌value‌ ‌is‌ ‌not‌ ‌unknown,‌ ‌unresearched‌ ‌or‌ ‌unquantified:‌ ‌there‌ ‌is‌ ‌an‌ ‌enormous‌ ‌amount‌ ‌of‌ authoritative‌ ‌literature‌ ‌on‌ ‌these‌ ‌issues‌ ‌and‌ ‌many‌ ‌advocates.‌  
 
The‌ ‌question‌ ‌remains:‌ ‌why‌ ‌is‌ ‌this‌ ‌’value’‌ ‌not‌ ‌translated‌ ‌into‌ ‌respect‌ ‌and‌ ‌recognition?‌ 

Symptoms‌ ‌of‌ ‌this‌ ‌Crisis‌ ‌

Lack‌ ‌of‌ ‌recognition‌ ‌of‌ ‌music‌ ‌education‌ ‌from‌ ‌decision‌ ‌makers‌.
Poorly‌ ‌defined‌ ‌roles‌ ‌for‌ ‌music‌ ‌educators‌ ‌within‌ ‌the‌ ‌education‌ ‌systems‌ ‌and‌ ‌generally‌.
Exploitation‌ ‌of‌ ‌music‌ ‌educators‌ ‌through‌ ‌employment‌ ‌and‌ ‌contracting‌ ‌models‌.
Low‌ ‌level‌ ‌of‌ ‌mandated‌ ‌music‌ ‌education‌ ‌in‌ ‌education‌ ‌systems‌.

Music Educators Working Group

The‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌in‌ ‌music‌ ‌education‌ ‌is‌ ‌likely‌ ‌a‌ ‌feature‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌broader‌ ‌problems‌ ‌with‌ ‌recognition‌ ‌and‌ ‌respect‌ for‌ ‌structured‌ ‌creative‌ ‌practices,‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌Arts‌ ‌and‌ ‌entertainment‌ ‌sector.‌ ‌As‌ ‌such‌ ‌Musicians‌ ‌Australia‌ and‌ ‌the‌ ‌broader‌ ‌MEAA’s‌ ‌Arts‌ ‌and‌ ‌Entertainment‌ ‌strategy‌ ‌is‌ ‌probably‌ ‌the‌ ‌best‌ ‌way‌ ‌for‌ ‌us‌ ‌to‌ ‌begin‌ addressing‌ ‌some‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌basic‌ ‌causes‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌problems‌ ‌we‌ ‌have‌ ‌identified‌ ‌with‌ ‌music‌ ‌education.‌ 
Our‌ ‌Music‌ ‌Educators‌ ‌Working‌ ‌Group‌ ‌is‌ ‌currently‌ ‌examining‌ ‌and‌ ‌researching‌ ‌the‌ ‌legal,‌ ‌industrial,‌ ‌and‌ practical‌ ‌issues‌ ‌concerning‌ ‌the‌ ‌representation‌ ‌of‌ ‌music‌ ‌educators.‌ 
We‌ ‌welcome‌ ‌working‌ ‌with‌ ‌all‌ ‌other‌ ‌like-minded‌ ‌organisations‌ ‌and‌ ‌individuals,‌ ‌including‌ Teaching/Education‌ ‌unions.‌ 
 
If‌ ‌you‌ ‌are‌ ‌interested‌ ‌in‌ ‌music‌ ‌education,‌ ‌join‌ ‌the‌ ‌working‌ ‌group‌ ‌now.‌

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