Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason music and creative learning was not included in the online educational resources for schools and parents to help children to learn at home during the covid-19 outbreak; and what steps he is taking to promote online educational resources created by third sector organisations to support music learning during that outbreak.

The Government believes all pupils should have access to an excellent, well-rounded education and the arts and music are central to this. The findings from the Call for Evidence on the National Plan for Music Education, which closed on 13 March 2020, will inform the development of proposals for the refreshed Plan. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the refresh of the Plan is on hold, but this position remains under review. Until the Plan is formally refreshed, Music Education Hubs will continue to fulfil their roles as set out in the existing Plan, taking into account current Government guidance on the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Department is committed to the continuation of high-quality education for all pupils during this difficult time and it is supporting schools and parents through a number of initiatives. The Department’s published list of online resources is one such initiative and is intended to support parents and teachers to navigate through the wide range of online educational resources available so that they can identify the right tools and resources to meet their specific needs. For this reason, we have chosen to limit our list to include free online resources to the following: English, Mathematics, science, PE, mental wellbeing and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). These resources are available here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources.

The online resources list forms part of a wider range of support available to support education at home including a package of support by the Oak National Academy and enhanced educational provision from the BBC, which both include content for music. Subject associations and professional bodies are also able to signpost to resources for a wider span of subjects. For music, Music Mark and the Incorporated Society of Musicians have done so already, and the Department has signposted to these organisations through social media.