The Portuguese government is to put an end to the teaching of music, as it is currently taught in the State Conservatories of Music, from September 2008.
Only students who, at the age of 10, have chosen to pursue a professional career in music will be able to continue their studies at the conservatories.
In Lisbon, this corresponds to 45 out of 900 students!
The consequences of this both arbitrary and disastrous decision are:
- suppression of the 4 levels of music initiation for 6-10 year olds even though it is never too early to begin a musical education;
- suppression of classes for students over 18. What will happen to the teaching of voice, which is only possible to begin at 17 years of age?
- suppression of classes for all students aged between 10 and 18 who have not chosen to take up a professional career in music, in other words, almost all of them.
These measures are profoundly antidemocratic; they lead directly to socio-economic discrimination by forcing those who wish to obtain a serious musical education to enrol in private music schools, something which is far beyond the financial reach of many families in a country where the minimum wage is 426 euros per month.
In addition, the measures deprive Portugal of an essential educational network, compounding the situation of a cultural scene already dramatically in need of resources.
We are, therefore, determined to forestall this attack on the right of our young people to receive a musical education.
We will not abandon the cultural heritage of 200 years of music teaching.
In order to save the few – there are six in the country – Portuguese public institutions that provide specialist teaching in music, a universal language, we ask those who support our cause – both in Europe and beyond – to sign and pass on this petition, which has already been signed by thousands of our fellow citizens.
We hope that with this petition the government will realise the absurdity of their hasty and destructive decision.
Many thanks.
http://www.petitiononline.com/CFEEMP/petition.html
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