Music ban at Stewarton Academy met with anger

Jan 23 2009 by Lizzie Struthers, Kilmarnock Standard

A MUSIC ban at a school famous for its band has sounded a sour note with pupils and parents.

Pupils at Stewarton Academy are no longer allowed to take private flute and clarinet lessons during school time.

Education bosses decided to scrap the practice which had worked successfully for the school’s multi-gold award-winning band for 20 years – at no cost to East Ayrshire Council.

Parents had paid towards the cost of the private tutors to come in to the school and teach flute and clarinet.

Some 200 Stewarton Academy pupils are currently provided lessons in brass, guitar, bassoon, oboe and saxophone during the school day by the council for free.

Stewarton Bands Support Group, set up by parents to overturn the council’s decision about flute and clarinet lessons, held a meeting at the school last week.

Brassed-off parents were told that the number of flute players at the school had dropped from 15 to four since the daytime lesson ban was enforced in October last year.

The flute and clarinet pupils who are now forced to take evening lessons are tired, fall behind and feel excluded from the rest of band causing them to give up, parents claim.

One parent said: “With numbers dwindling rapidly, we fear it’s only a matter of time before Stewarton Academy’s much loved and respected bands system collapses for good.

“Despite repeated pleas from pupils, parents, politicians and musical experts, the council refuses to budge on this issue.”

The council claims it had received complaints from a number of parents caused by “confusion of understanding of the service provided free by the authority and that which was a strictly private arrangement between parents and self employed tutors.”

A council spokeswoman said: “The new arrangements are an attempt to make this distinction clear.

“At no stage has the authority stopped or attempted to stop the private music tuition. Indeed arrangements have been made to facilitate the provision in school, albeit at alternative times.”

The council’s education representatives and parents from Stewarton Bands Support Group were due to meet at the school yesterday (Wednesday) to discuss the situation.