Bridget’s Blog: Education in Focus

I am proud that Music Mark’s full name is the ‘UK Association for Music Education – Music Mark’. While it can be a mouthful when speaking to institutions like the Bank or HMRC, it serves as a valuable reminder to our team, members, and the broader music education community that our mission is to support music education across the UK.

In England, the 2024 general election brought a change of government, significantly influencing arts and education policy. The independent Arts Council and the Curriculum and Assessment Reviews, both now published, are expected to impact music education both in and out of schools for years to come. We are also in the tender process for a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education. However, the general election had less impact on music education in Wales and Scotland, as the governments in these devolved nations did not change enough to prompt major policy reviews.

As we look ahead though, political changes are anticipated in Wales, and possibly Scotland, in the summer of 2026.

With uncertainty over who will come into power at Holyrood or the Senedd in May 2026, it is crucial to communicate the importance and value of music education to all potential election candidates.

In Scotland, the Music Education Partnership Group has created an impactful manifesto, which we have fully endorsed and are eager to share widely. In Wales, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) is the key national body supporting music education and manages government funding as the National Music Service (NMS) Wales. Like the LGA in England, the WLGA cannot engage in political debate, so another organisation was needed to develop and advocate for a manifesto supporting Welsh music education.

Music Mark is a membership association, and we are proud to include music services, organisations, and individuals in Wales among our members. To ensure our Manifesto reflected their voices, we worked closely with the NMS to develop a draft, which we refined through meetings and feedback sessions.

Conversations with colleagues made it clear that music education in Wales is thriving, thanks to the 2022 National Plan for Music Education, the new National Curriculum for Wales, and the establishment of the National Music Service. Our Manifesto, therefore, urges the next government to stay committed to supporting these initiatives and calls for increased, long-term funding to sustain and expand music education in Wales.

We have published our Manifesto and shared it across social media and our website, but this is just the beginning. In the coming weeks and months, with support from our members and the wider music education community in Wales, we will encourage all political parties to consider and adopt our Manifesto as they develop their plans for government. We believe that, regardless of who wins the election in Wales, music education must be central to building a nation where music remains a cornerstone of the country’s cultural identity.