We offer our solidarity to colleagues across the sector who have lost their jobs, or whose jobs may be at risk in the near future. Image credit: Shutterstock.
The University of Kent has announced the closure of music and audio technology courses as part of substantial cutbacks to a total of six departments. The cuts follow recent closures of music courses at Wolverhampton and Oxford Brookes universities.
Recruitment for the courses will end and courses will be “taught out”, meaning that current students will be able to complete their studies. Staff roles associated with the affected courses are likely to become redundant.
This latest closure is part of a worrying trend in university music education
Chris Walters, MU National Organiser for Education, said: “This latest closure is part of a worrying trend in university music education. We offer our solidarity to colleagues across the sector who have lost their jobs, or whose jobs may be at risk in the near future.
“Blame for this and other music department closures can in part be attributed to the Conservative Government, which over the last decade has presided over a drastic narrowing of the school curriculum. This in turn has choked off the pipeline to music at HE level, with far fewer students now in a position to apply for degree level courses.
“We welcome positive messages from Labour about the importance of music education at all levels. We urge the Labour Party, should they form the next Government, to intervene to support university music courses as part of a wholesale review of fairer access to arts education.”