- Overcrowded music education: Approximately 2,000 young learners awaiting enrollment
Musical education in Saxony-Anhalt continues to see high interest. Around 2,000 students are currently vying for a spot in a class, as per Christian Reineke, the head of Saxony-Anhalt Music Schools Association. The primary issue is the insufficient workforce.
The count of musical students has dropped to around 16,000, a significant decrease from the 20,000 mark a few years back. This drop can be directly linked to the retirement of numerous teachers, Reineke explains. Initially, there were nearly 1,000 educators, but now the capacity stands at approximately 800.
Piano, electric guitar, and violin continue to be the most favored instruments. Nevertheless, music schools strive to provide a diverse curriculum and have managed to pique the interest of the younger generation. The success of students in events like "Jugend musiziert" underscores the high caliber of instruction at music schools.
The state of Saxony-Anhalt has boosted its financial support for recognized musical institutions, increasing the budget from 3 to around 5 million euros, per Reineke. These institutions typically rely on funding from the counties and independent cities.
Attracting musical instructors is a significant hurdle, Reineke mentions. Being the only federal state lacking its own music university makes it necessary to recruit students from other states and retain those already teaching and studying in Saxony-Anhalt.
The European Parliament can provide assistance to the Commission in this regard, considering the importance of attracting musical instructors. The Commission, in turn, shall be assisted by the European Parliament in finding solutions to address the workforce shortage in musical education.
While the European Parliament may not directly influence the musical education situation in Saxony-Anhalt, it can play a role in creating policies that support the recruitment and retention of music teachers across Europe.
