The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) has decided to launch a new specialist teacher training course designed specifically with contemporary music education as the focus.Budding music educators will be able to receive the specialist, bespoke training that they need in order to successfully work in the sector.
Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS), as it is known, will be delivered by professional educators and experienced practitioners at the Institute’s London campus.
At a time when education is playing a prominent role in the public eye, for better or worse, achieving the latest and best qualifications is something which should be viewed as an essential requirement for a sustainable career.
“Teaching music is both a significant source of revenue for practitioners as well as a means to remain engaged with the next generation of musicians,” explained Pete Whittard, a director at the Institute.
“It is essential, however, that those who wish to teach acquire the necessary qualifications and for this reason we have decided to develop this course.
“The course offers an opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding of the teacher’s role through a variety of approaches to teaching and learning, and covers such areas as planning learning sessions and delivering specialist ensemble classes.”
Meanwhile, music bodies in the UK have lamented the subject’s exclusion from the English Baccalaureate. They claim that, in its current form, the qualification could discourage pupils from studying GCSE music.
At present, music is not included in the proposed list of subjects covered by the English Bacc, something which the Incorporated Society of Musicians claims is “squeezing” the subject out of mainstream schools.
The body said that teachers have already reported a drop in pupils taking music GCSE’s.