Music class access for all students by 2022
EVERY child in the country will have access to music lessons, art and computer coding within the next five years under a new plan rolled out yesterday.
The Creative Youth plan pledges to give every child and young person in Ireland access to music tuition as well as participation in drama, art and key technology skills.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was joined by three Government ministers at the plan’s national launch at St Laurence O’Toole’s Girls National School in Seville Place in Dublin’s north inner city. The five-year Creative Youth plan is part of the Creative Ireland Programme and will build on existing activities in schools. Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan said 2018 will be a year of pilot programmes for the initiatives.
“We will work across the various Government departments and agencies to make sure that what we are doing has the greatest possible impact on the wellbeing of our children and young,” she said.
The plan will also involve :
■ Bringing artists into classrooms on a pilot basis;
■ Developing creative programmes for young people in disadvantaged communities;
■ Expanding drama and theatre participation for pupils outside school;
■ Developing and extending
choral singing,
■ An annual national creativity day ‘Crinniú’ for children and young people.
The Music Generation programme, which currently reaches more than 40,000 children in developing their musical expression and skills, will be extended nationwide.
The programme was kick-started thanks to an initial
€7m donation by U2 and the Ireland Funds, and incremental government investment.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe’s department was responsible for continuing the funding of the nationwide rollout of the Music Generation programme.
“I’m a firm believer that engagement with the arts and creativity can help young people to develop self-confidence and identity, show them that they can be creative and imaginative and that their expression is valued by society,” he said.
The Taoiseach said that research shows that children who get involved in the arts and cultural activities are happier and suffer less anxiety.
“We want to encourage young people to be creative thinkers, to expand their minds and to ensure that have the chance to fully explore the joys of creative and cultural endeavour, whether that’s learning to code, dance or sing,” Mr Varadkar said.