At last night’s meeting of Isle of Wight Cabinet,
members approved proposals to conduct a public consultation.
The move comes after a proposed consultation was postponed earlier in the year.
Cllr Cousins thanked officers for preparing the paper presented to Cabinet last night and her proposal was seconded by Cllr Pugh.
Cllr Brown likened music to the Olympic Games, recognising how active making music is and hoped that the “sensible recommendation” would provide a new impetus for the young to play and enjoy the active element of making music.
“Legacy will be maintained”
Cllr Mazillius praised the “very high standard of young musicians” already on the Island, adding that the council would ensure that this legacy would be maintained.
Cllr Cameron was concerned that schools make good use of the pupil premium. Cllr Taylor questioned why some schools do not use the Music Service and what could be done to encourage it.
Cllr Cousins confirmed that some schools do prefer to employ their own music teachers and that the council cannot compel them to use the Music Service.
Full and meaningful consultation
Cllr Fuller believed the changes to the Music Service would be an exemplar for the Local Authority, that they would be watched closely by other local authorities. He stressed the need for the consultation to the full and meaningful so that we can all be proud of it in the future.
All Cabinet members voted in favour of the proposal:
To approve the commencement of the formal consultation exercise on models 1, 3 and 4 as identified in paragraph 23 above.
To ask officers to explore the experiences of other local authorities who have adopted or who are considering adoption any of these models and to include any information or evidence gained in the final report to Cabinet.
