We have looked at the budget through the lens of Making Music members, and there are a few points to draw to your attention. Orchestra Tax...
Making Music has been supporting lawyer and community musician Ralph Riddough’s campaign, to clarify the lawfulness of fees for musical instrument tuition in Scottish state schools.
On 16 March, Ralph Riddiough received the formal response from the Scottish Government to his complaint that it is unlawful for local authorities to charge fees for the provision of musical instrument tuition in state schools. The complaint has not been upheld with no detailed reasons given.
Ralph's legal team have advised that he could now proceed to raise judicial review court proceedings against the Scottish Government on the basis that the Scottish Ministers have misdirected themselves on the relevant points of law. To run the proceedings with his current team will require considerable additional funds to be raised within three months and this seems unlikely during this period of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Ralph has therefore decided not to carry this forward. He would be happy to pass his file to another parent or family with the same concerns and who might wish to pursue this.
Ralph has worked tirelessly on taking a legal route with the #ChangeTheTune campaign and it has made an impact on how seriously politicians have taken the issue of music education so our many thanks to him. Making Music will continue to support the ideal that musical instrument tuition should not be charged for in schools and to work with the Music Education Partnership Group (Scotland) and others to push this agenda.
Find out more on the #ChangeThe Tune campaign page
