what its position is on each of the recommendations made by researchers from the University of Edinburgh in the paper, A Manifesto for Mus…

The Scottish Government's position on the five recommendations of ‘A Manifesto for Music Education in Scotland’ is as follows.
Recommendation 1. To become registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland all teachers must achieve the Standard for Full Registration (SFR). The SFR includes benchmark statements on the professional actions that are expected of a registered teacher and one of these is to have detailed knowledge and understanding of the theory and practical skills required in curricular areas, including music, referring to local and national guidance as required.
Recommendation 2. The Senior Education Officer for expressive arts and the HMI specialist at Education Scotland have an overview of music education in Scotland, providing leadership on national standards in music education and supporting practitioners on these. Most Local Authorities have a lead Music Officer who is in charge of arranging Music focussed CPD within their authority. As they continue to develop, the new Regional Improvement Collaboratives will provide a space for local authorities, Education Scotland, practitioners and others to come together to share learning and, through collaboration, enhance the support they provide.
Recommendation 3. The Commission on Widening Access (CoWA) considered the barriers faced by those from socioeconomically deprived backgrounds and those with care experience and made 34 recommendations. Recommendation 33 states that the Commissioner for Fair Access should:consider what further work is required to support equal access for other groups of learners and within specific degree subjects andconsider what further work is required to support equal outcomes for study for those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with a care experience.
To take this work forward the Commissioner has already indicated that during 2018 he will be looking at students with a disability and access to post graduate education. We will highlight the issues raised to the Commissioner for consideration in respect of his future work plan.
Recommendation 4. The Scottish Government and Education Scotland support the work of the Music Education Partnership Group (MEPG). MEPG is a broadly representative group of both national and local music education partners and includes the influential and proactive practitioner network, the Scottish Association of Music Education (SAME), as well as the Heads of Instrumental Teaching in Scotland (HITS). MEPG has commissioned a national research project to determine the current state of play in relation to music education in Scotland which will be published in early 2019.
Recommendation 5. The Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Principles and Practice paper for the expressive arts describes the vital role and power of the arts, including music, in enabling children and young people in Scotland to enhance their creative talent and develop their artistic skills. CfE provides children and young people with opportunities to be creative and imaginative, to experience inspiration and enjoyment and to develop skills in each of these subjects. Participation within the CfE framework enables children and young people to experience and enjoy the energy and excitement of performing and presenting for different audiences and of being part of an audience for others. The CfE Experiences and Outcomes and Benchmarks provide teachers with a clear pathway to nurture and develop children’s and young people’s interests and skills, with no ceiling on their learning and achievement.
The Scottish Government is committed to strengthening engagement with key stakeholders, including COSLA, the Royal Conservatoire, and other members of the Music Education Partnership Group. We will review existing evidence and consider what further research is required to ensure together we positively shape the future direction of the music education sector for the benefit of children and young people.