Music lessons return to elementary school in Brunssum, Kerkrade and Landgraaf
Pupils of elementary school in Brunssum, Kerkrade and Landgraaf can structurally take weekly music lessons from September 2021. The three municipalities and education foundation Movare have made extra money available for this purpose. The program, More Harmony in Society, has a provisional duration of four years (2021-2025).
The music lessons are intended for all children ages 4 to 12. The three municipalities involve more than 7,500 children in 31 elementary schools (27 regular elementary schools and 4 special education schools).
Additional investment
More Harmony in Society began as a pilot in 10 schools in January 2020. In the 2020-21 school year, the number of schools was expanded to 20. The goal of the pilot was to explore whether structural implementation of music education was feasible and affordable for the participating municipalities and education partners and in collaboration with the cultural field.
Based on the experiences of the pilot, the municipalities and education foundation Movare have decided to jointly invest over 400 thousand euros extra in music education in elementary school for the next four years, starting in school year 2021-22.
Leading the way is the consideration, says Alderman Jo Schlangen of Kerkrade, that "scientific research has shown that making music is very good for children's development. Good music education in every grade is therefore fantastic."
In addition to providing relaxation and fun, music lessons make an essential contribution to the three main goals of education: knowledge and talent development, personal formation and social formation. Or as Alderman Alex Schiffelers of Landgraaf sums it up, "Music helps young people grow up in a positive way."
More beautiful and harmonious
The weekly music lessons will soon bring the children into contact with as wide a musical range as possible. From that basis, so is the ambition of More Harmony in Society, children can develop themselves further and wider musically. Experiencing music together and making music together are the most important starting points.
That happens both inside and outside schools, in special classes for choir, dance or pop music, for example. But the program goes further, says Alderman Servie L'Espoir of Brunssum. "We also seek cooperation with cultural partners, such as local music societies, or with cultural events, such as Pinkpop, the World Music Contest or, of course, with the Parade at our place in Brunssum."
Through this connection between education, culture and society, children not only develop a broad musical orientation, but also call upon 21st-century skills such as creative and critical thinking, problem solving, and cooperation, according to the ambitions of More Harmony in Society. "Our dream," says Kiki Huijnen-Becks of Movare, "is structural and quality music lessons for every child. In doing so, we make society a little more beautiful and harmonious."
Maastricht University
Maastricht University will monitor the More Harmony in Society program in the coming years and investigate how children's development benefits from participation in the program.
Participating in the program are the municipalities of Brunssum, Kerkrade and Landgraaf, education foundation Movare, elementary school Benjamin and Franciscus, and music school SMK.
All parties expressed their intention to extend the project for another similar period after the first four years. The program will be evaluated in the third year (2024), after which a final decision on extension to 2029 will be made.
