We urge the Council to reconsider and protect access to music for all, and we encourage our members to sign EIS’s petition. Image credit: Shutterstock.
In October 2025, Dumfries and Galloway Council announced that it was considering the removal of its instrumental music service due to a budget shortfall. The Council ran a public consultation towards the end of last year, and a final decision is expected in February.
Ahead of this, EIS, Scotland’s education union, has published an online petition against the cuts. We encourage MU members to sign the petition, which is part of a coordinated series of actions with partner organisations in Scotland to show that the instrumental music service is highly valued and must be retained.
Access to music education is not a luxury
Chris Walters, MU National Organiser for Education, Health and Wellbeing, said:
“Dumfries and Galloway Council must not go ahead with these disastrous proposals, which would be totally at odds with the Scottish Government’s commitments on access to music education for all children.”
Caroline Sewell, MU Regional Organiser for Scotland and Northern Ireland, said:
“The proposal to axe Dumfries and Galloway’s instrumental music service delivers the latest blow to cultural life and educational equity in Scotland. Access to music education must not be regarded as a luxury, but a necessary component for educational attainment, a lifeline for creativity, confidence, and community.
“Cutting this service abandons young people, undermines skilled educators, and impoverishes Scotland’s future. We urge the Council to reconsider and protect access to music for all, and we encourage our members to sign EIS’s petition.”