Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question goes to Senator Evans, representing the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth. Does the government agree with the Music Director of Victorian Opera, Richard Gill, that it is a national disgrace that Australian children do not have access to specialist music teaching in all primary schools and that there are lots of state schools who have none and who are seriously disadvantaged? Can the minister say how many primary schools do not have specialist music teaching and what are the disadvantages attached to that lack?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brown for the question. I am not aware of those comments but I am a very strong supporter of all school-aged children getting access to music education. In my experience, having done a lot of BER openings in the last couple of years, I have been to a lot of primary schools and generally they put on a school performance and it is of a very high quality and reflects the strong primary school music program through Catholic, independent and government schools. So I am concerned if there is not that specialist support—and I have also got a brother-in-law who is a specialist primary school music teacher. I understand a lot of schools do have very strong programs and have very strong results, so I would be concerned if that is not as pervasive as your question suggests. But it is the case that this government strongly supports formal musical education in the schools and, as you know, musical education has been included in the development of the national curriculum, so we do take that very seriously, in part just because of the value of music itself. But it is linked to improved health and wellbeing, it is linked to better student engagements in all types of learning and it has been shown that long-term participation in music programs improves children's grades in academic subjects such as English and maths—although it has not worked for one of my boys in the maths area despite him being a very good musician. But, as I say, the government does support formal teaching of music by specialists being available to all schoolchildren and I am happy to ask the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth for any further advice. It is in the national curriculum, it is strongly supported and my experience in recent times is that there are very strong programs in hundreds of primary schools that I have been associated with in recent years. (Time expired)

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I thank the minister for that good answer.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Well, it was. Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I ask if the minister will find out for the Senate—

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Resume your seat, Senator Brown; you are entitled to be heard in silence. Now, Senator Brown.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask the minister if he would find out how many primary state schools there are that do not have specialist music educators and which ones they are. I ask him also: is he aware that, in Scandinavia, Finland has over 100 specialist music schools, with a population about the size of Melbourne, according to Mr Gill? How many specialist music schools are there in Australia?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brown for his question, but he has ruined my reputation by describing one of my answers as 'good', so no doubt I will be disciplined by the tactics committee! But I will be less helpful here because I do not have the answer to the specific questions he raises. I am informed, by the opposition, that the spread of specialist teachers among the state school system is not as high as we would like. I will try and get him the figures. I know a lot of the work is done by teachers who carry other responsibilities. They do music teaching and choir and provide other support of music in the schools while doing other duties. I will have to take the specifics of his question on notice because I do not have those statistics, but I suspect the minister for education may be able to get them from the state authorities and give us a better feel for exactly the penetration of specialist teaching positions across the various state systems.

Bob Brown (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Finally, I ask the minister a further supplementary question. Is it a fact that if a child misses, in early education, a music education it can be well nigh impossible to pick up that education later in life?

An opposition senator: That's an opinion.

The senator says it is an opinion. I am asking for a fact here. I ask the minister whether he could tell the Senate the advantages of an early childhood education in music in terms of the outcomes of education at the other end of schooling.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brown for the question. I am living proof that the early investment in music education does not necessarily deliver results. If you have ever heard me play the guitar you will understand why.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thought you might have been singing in a Welsh choir.

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am also the only descendent of Welsh people who cannot sing a note. But, in general terms, investment in the early years is the best investment we can make in children. Support, education and care in the early years not only is a huge determinant of a child's future capacity but maximises their potential, and music is a very important part of that. If you go to any good quality early learning centres you will see them using music as a central part of the learning experience for young children, and the value of music in early learning is well appreciated. I will see what other information I can get for Senator Brown in terms of the specifics of his question. (Time expired)