City council adopts concept for the future of the music school
At its meeting yesterday, the City Council approved the concept for the further development of the Chemnitz Municipal Music School. The concept sets out the institution's content, personnel and educational goals and strategies up to 2018, focussing on the music school's mission, cooperation with municipal institutions, the Gerichtsstraße building, target pupil numbers, development of the educational approach, personnel, fees and finances.
One of the most important goals of the concept is to reach a pupil number of around 2500 by 2018. The spatial prerequisites for this will be created by mid-2014 with the recently started extension to the music school. Just under 2,100 children and young people are currently enrolled. This means that the number of pupils has doubled since 2003.
Another aim of the concept is to build up a stable core of teaching staff. To this end, the heads of the departments that were previously staffed by freelancers will be filled with permanent employees. In addition to the management position, each department will in future also have 1.5 assistant department heads.
The pedagogical concept will also change in parts. For example, so-called combined lessons will be introduced. This will allow teachers and pupils to alternate between individual and group lessons depending on the situation and thus form small ensembles within the regular lessons. At the same time, the 30-minute individual or partner and group lessons will no longer be offered. Combined lessons are already being successfully practised in other music schools in Saxony. It is intended to help cover the costs of the programmes.
In addition, the "Basic Musical Education" programme will be introduced from the 2015/2016 school year. It will serve as a bridge between early musical education and vocal/instrumental lessons. The aim is to provide children with more intensive knowledge of rhythm, music theory and singing.
These measures are intended to contribute to the fulfilment of the Chemnitz Municipal Music School's mission, as defined in the concept, to provide all interested children and young people in Chemnitz with the opportunity of a musical education. As well as providing a broad and high-quality educational programme. In addition to excellent teacher training, the quality of the music school is to be maintained at a high level through co-operation with other municipal institutions and music schools in other cities as well as through participation in the Association of German Music Schools and the "Jugend musiziert" competition.
The development of the concept was also based on the timeframe set by the city council resolution of 12 December 2012 and took particular account of the city's financial situation.
It was designed by a committee consisting of the head of the municipal music school as well as representatives of the Chemnitz Music Association, teachers, parents' representatives, the municipal enterprise "Das TIETZ" and employees of the city administration. It was then agreed with the music school's parents' representatives.