Parliamentary Questions
CDMT continues its work with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Performing Arts Education and Training, which includes the ongoing development of Parliamentary Questions relevant to the membership for use in both Houses of Parliament.
We are delighted to share the following links to questions and responses relating to education in dance, drama and musical theatre that have been asked by Parliamentarians since March 2023:
- To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will consider the potential merits of extending the music education hub model to (a) dance, (b) drama and (c) other performing arts.
- To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to take steps to help increase participation in the performing arts among (a) children and (b) young people, particularly those from (i) disadvantaged backgrounds and (ii) groups underrepresented in the sector.
- To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of rises in the cost of living on the uptake of extracurricular performing arts classes in (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) further and (d) higher education; and whether she is taking steps to increase engagement in the performing arts in (i) schools and (ii) other educational establishments.
- To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of (a) performing arts teachers and (b) associated curriculum hours in schools and further and higher education institutions.
- To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that pupils have opportunities to study (a) drama, (b) dance, (c) music and (d) art in schools.
- To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps he is taking to provide support for (a) creative industries and (b) digital creative industries.
- To ask His Majesty’s Government, further to the introduction of (1) Music Education Hubs, and (2) the National Plan for Music Education, whether they have plans to initiate similar schemes for other art forms including (a) drama, and (b) theatre; and if not, why not.
- To ask His Majesty’s Government what is the current status of the Arts Premium funding for secondary schools.
- To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to address the discrepancy in the (1) scale, and (2) investment, of arts education in (a) state schools, and (b) independent schools.
- To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she has received on increasing funding for the performing arts.
- To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that pupils have the opportunity to study creative subjects at A Level.
- To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that the plays students study include Black, Asian and minority ethnic representation.
- To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the number of teachers working in creative subjects.
- To ask His Majesty’s Government what progress they have made with their Cultural Education Plan, as outlined in their Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child white paper, published in March 2022; when the expert advisory panel for that plan will meet; and when the report will be published.
- To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decline in the number of entries to GCSE and A-Level qualifications in the performing arts over the last decade.
- To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to take steps to increase the confidence of non-subject specialist secondary teachers in teaching (a) music, (b) drama and theatre, (c) religious education and (d) geography as additional subjects.
- To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to ensure that all students up to Year 11 participate in art and creative subjects during the school week.
- To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to increase the provision of creative subjects in EBacc qualifications.
- To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a specialist school for music, film and digital design in the north of England.