BBC RADIO 3 AND BBC FOUR PIANO SEASON

Motion Text

That this House congratulates the BBC on holding Piano Season, a six-week celebration of the piano and its music running from September to November 2012; notes that Piano Season and accompanying nationwide activities have helped to bring attention to talented musicians and inspire younger generations to get involved in music; further notes that this highlights the importance of encouraging music education in schools to a greater degree; acknowledges that it is important for schools to have such facilities and equipment in order to support and develop young musicians; is concerned by research from the Institute of Education, Evaluation of the EMI Music Sound Foundation Project rollout: Training Key Stage 1 Primary School Teachers (2010-2011) finding that one in nine schools did not have a piano; is further concerned by the 2012 Ofsted report which found that one in five schools visited had inadequate music education; and calls on the Government to support music education through the provision of a piano in every primary school in the UK.