The music education charity Music Masters has today announced that it will waive the entire course fee for the 2021/22 cohort of Team Teach: PGCEi in Group Instrument Learning, in response to the significant impact Covid-19 has had on the arts sector.
For the second year running, Music Masters is fully funding places worth £6,000 for the one-year course, which, in its third year, is now opening up to all instruments. The charity is waiving the course fees as it believes all children should have access to the power of music, an important and relevant vision in these difficult times. It is also committed to creating a more inclusive community of exceptional music educators, and to finding teachers with the clear potential to support it in its mission to transform music education.
Roz De Vile, CEO of Music Masters, said: ‘Over the past year, self-employed teachers and musicians have faced unprecedented turmoil due to the impact of Covid-19 on their livelihoods and careers, with many unable to access government support. For aspiring and existing music educators, music teaching may no longer feel viable or valued as a career path. Yet through lockdowns and school closures, countless children have lost access to their only route to experience and learn music. With the inevitable catch-up focus on STEM subjects, music may be further side-lined in schools with potentially devastating effects.
We can’t let this happen. Now more than ever music can play a vital role in supporting the nation’s children through building comfort and connection and supporting wider educational recovery. We need amazing music teachers to inspire, lead the way and make a change.
So, for the second year running we have taken the decision to waive all fees for our Team Teach PGCEi course which focusses on group instrumental teaching. For our 2021-22 cohort we seek musicians and teachers who care passionately about the future of music education and can commit to joining us to make a difference well beyond graduating from this year-long postgraduate course. This year, for the first time, we open our doors to all instruments taught in primary school settings.’
Launched in 2019 with Birmingham City University (BCU), Team Teach: PGCEi in Group Instrument Learning equips musicians with the essential and practical skills needed for the demands of group instrument teaching. Due to the pandemic, teaching has taken place online for the 2020/2021 cohort, and will do so for the next cohort to allow full interaction from students across the UK.
Successful applicants will be socially driven and willing to support the charity beyond course completion to achieve its aims of improving music education on a national scale.
For anyone wishing to enrol on Team Teach, please visit here