The Minister for the Arts, Senator George Brandis and the Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne have announced $594,000 in funding for a new national music mentorship programme to bring high quality music mentorship to classroom teachers across Australia.
The National Music Teachers Mentorship Pilot Programme was developed in consultation between the Australian Government, the Australian Youth Orchestra and Mr Richard Gill OAM. It will be hosted by the Australian Youth Orchestra who will utilise their connections within the music and education sectors to deliver the programme.
Commencing in classrooms in February 2015, the programme will run for three years and establish mentoring partnerships between professional music educators and generalist classroom teachers with the goal of enriching music education in primary schools and engaging students in a quality music education.
The positive academic and social impact of a quality school-based arts education has long been recognised with many demonstrated positive impacts, including on academic achievement, school attendance and social cohesion.
The official media release can be found here: http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/Mediareleases/Pages/2014/FourthQuarter/20October2014-LaunchOfTheNationalMusicTeachersMentorshipPilotProgramme.aspx