Music students fight threat to part-time classes

PRIMARY and second-level children attending part-time music classes at Cork School of Music have staged a protest, along with their parents, outside the school.

The CSM Concerned Parents Group said it wants to meet Mr Murphy and Cork Institute of Technology’s Governing Body to get clarification about how belt-tightening across the institute will impact on their children’s music education.

However, the head of CIT moved last night to reassure parents that there is no threat to junior level music classes at the flagship Cork School of Music.

CIT president Brendan Murphy also said that any possible changes to operations across the entire institute will have a “minimal” impact on the school.

His statement came as the institute is reviewing operations across all its constituent colleges: the main Bishopstown campus; the Crawford College of Art and Design; CSM; and the National Maritime College of Ireland.

But parents’ spokesman Brendan O’Toole said they fear the 2,000 young children attending classes at CSM — comprising 94% of the school’s student body — will bear the brunt of possible cutbacks.

“This would be a complete change of the strategic plan for the school,” Mr O’Toole said.

“If you take the music from the School of Music, then what do you have?”

Parents fought a long and high-profile campaign to secure the development of the 60 million CSM building, which opened in the city two years ago.

But recent comments attributed to Mr Murphy suggested that part-time classes could be axed.

Mr O’Toole said parents want confirmation on the level of enrolments at CSM next year and a guarantee that there will be no decrease in teaching hours.

Mr Murphy issued a statement to reassure parents. “There is no question of not providing the full range of music tuition currently available,” he said.

“Enrolment for 2008 will proceed normally. Regarding speculation about budget shortfalls at CIT, the institute will, in fact, receive an overall budget increase of 2.5% for 2008. Any changes are in the normal cycle of review and planning for next year.”

It is understood that there will be no reduction in individual instrument tuition at the school and that its one-to-one teaching structure will be retained.

However, it is also understood that CIT has had to shelve plans to introduce new courses at CSM, including a drama course, because of budgetary constraints.

The parents are also planning to raise their concerns with Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe.