Every child has the right to learn

Published on 21/10/2012 00:00

AT A recent meeting of the ­National Parent Forum of Scotland we discussed your campaign. Representatives from all over Scotland put forward their views and experiences. As a result we agreed to give our support to Scotland on Sunday’s Let the Children Play campaign.

The scale of the division across Scotland and the fact that some areas actually charge for SQA tuition came as a real shock to us. Is it only a matter of time until parents are asked to pay for other ­subjects?

With far-reaching changes well under way in Scottish education it seems sensible to us that all our children should have the opportunity to study a musical instrument. The benefits of participating in music are well known and the success of the Big Noise project in Stirling is testament to this. Wider achievement at school is a major part of the Curriculum for Excellence. ­Access to music tuition should be part of this.

Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) is a cornerstone of national policy. Our children deserve to be able to find out if music is right for them.

Douglas Chappelle, the National Parent Forum of Scotland