Ed Sheeran calls on PM to “save music in our schools”
Ed Sheeran has urged Keir Starmer to fund 1,000 more music teachers and invest £250 million in music education in state schools “to repair decades of dismantling”.
The singer songwriter has written to the Prime Minister to say that learning to play an instrument is “now a luxury not every child can afford”.
The letter, also signed by fellow musicians including Annie Lennox, Coldplay, Harry Styles, Elton John and Stormzy, calls for the government to stop the closure of university music departments.
Sheeran wrote: “As an industry we bring £7.6 billion into the UK economy, yet the next generation is not there to take the reins. Last year was the first in over 20 years without a UK global top 10 single or album in the charts.”
Sheeran, 34, who set up the Ed Sheeran Foundation in January to support grassroots music organisations and state school music departments added: “Artists and industry can’t deliver on the world stage without schools, youth clubs and stages at home. We collectively ask for a £250 million UK music education package this spring to repair decades of dismantling music. Music in and out of school should be for all, not a few. “
Sheeran learnt to play the guitar at primary school and began writing songs aged 11, he credits his former music teacher with encouraging him to pursue his dream. He left school at 16 to become a musician and has been hugely successful. His song Shape of You has been streamed over four billion times on Spotify.
Sheeran told the Sunday Times he launched his foundation “because I believe in the importance of music and that music education should be accessible to all. When I was at school music gave me purpose, it helped with my mental health, it brought me and many others joy and it gave me my career.
Over recent months I’ve been lucky enough to meet, speak and listen to a number of kids and teachers across the UK and it’s confirmed to me that music education is suffering. There’s so much talent out there so much passionate these kids don’t have the support to realise their dreams of entering the music industry and I want to write this letter on behalf of them.
This creative industry brings so much to our culture, our communities, our economy, our personal wellbeing , but music education has fallen through the gaps. That’s why I’m tasking the government, collectively, to correct the mistakes of its past and to protect and grow this for generations to come”.
In the letter Sheeran appeals to Starmer’s “personal belief in music and the promise of opportunity for all under Labour”.
There is no obligation for a state school to hire a specialist music teacher and many do not. Many parents might want their children to learn an instrument but cannot afford it.
The 500 plus signatories who also include Eric Clapton, Fred Again and Paloma Faith, said music education should be treated “like sport” so that schools can receive extra funding to teach it. Schools receive more than £300 million a year through the government’s “PE and Sport Premium”.
A survey of 2,200 music teachers by the British Phonographic Industry found 20% of primary school teachers report there is no regular music lesson for their class and the majority are not taught music by a specialist. Almost 40% of secondary schools now have no complimentary music lessons in Year 9.
Article written by William Turville and Louise Eccles
published by The Sunday Times 23.03.2025
