MPEG Announce Manifesto for Scotland
17th February 2026
The Music Education Partnership Group (MPEG) has published the Music Manifesto for Scotland, a landmark document designed to shape the future of music education across the country. The Music Education Partnership Group (MEPG) was founded in 2015 and is a network of music-based organisations set up to promote and celebrate the life-long benefits of a music education and to advocate that the transformative potential of music should be experienced by everyone in Scotland.
Developed through extensive collaboration with educators, musicians, policymakers, and young people, the Music Manifesto for Scotland presents a bold vision: that every child and young person in Scotland should have access to high-quality music education, regardless of background or location.
Key priorities highlighted in the Manifesto:
- A Scotland where all young people regardless of their background can be involved in music and progress through excellent teaching and appropriate pathways.
- A Scotland that is a globally recognised creative place where the arts can flourish and are enabled to inspire, enrich and transform the lives of people and communities
- A Scotland that provides a programme of skills development for everyone involved in music education delivered in partnership with MEPG Partners including Scotland’s worldclass conservatoire, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Harnessing assets and resources already available across the nation.
How to achieve these priorities:
- Instrumental music tuition that is free at the point of access for children and young people.
- Increasing the funding for the Youth Music Initiative to support access to high-quality youth music in community settings for those who need it most.
- Fair and equitable funding that gets through to every child in Scotland, regardless of their postcode. Consistency and transparency in funding across all local authorities.
- Ensuring clear, high-quality progressive pathways from local authority and community music provision into specialist music education, including Junior Conservatoire routes, ensuring that financial barriers are removed for learners from SIMD 1 and 2 backgrounds.
- The delivery of GTCS registration for all instrumental music teachers, solidifying their professional status and parity of esteem with the rest of the teaching profession.
Bridget Whyte, CEO of Music Mark and advisor to MPEG, commented:
‘This manifesto reinforces why and how music is such a valuable part of Scotland’s DNA, demonstrating value to the economy, society and individual health and wellbeing. At the heart of ongoing opportunities to maintain that value is ensuring a musical start in life for all children and young people. MEPG has worked tirelessly to champion this over the years, and their call to the next government of Scotland is clear – ongoing and increased support must be provided to maintain Scotland’s success as a ‘great musical nation.’
The document is now available on the MPEG website, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on learners, practitioners, and communities across Scotland.
