FEES are propping up the provision of instrumental music tuition in Scottish schools, councils have warned.
Cosla, the umbrella body for local authorities, said wider budget cuts meant charges were vital to keeping the service going.
The statement came in a briefing for MSPs on the eve of a debate in the Scottish Parliament on rising charges for instrumental music tuition.
The number of councils charging for instrumental music has risen from 15 to 25 since 2003/04, with fees increasing from £102 to £220. The maximum charge is now £524.
In January, Holyrood’s education committee recommended music tuition should be free to all after an inquiry into the issue.
Read more: Musical flashmob campaigns against free school tuition cuts
Its report said: “The ... committee respects the democratic right of local authorities to take decisions about local expenditure and acknowledges the financial choices they face.
“However, the committee believes in principle that music tuition should be provided free of charge in every local authority.”
Cosla said the report “makes no recommendation” on how this would be funded.
The briefing said: “Given that charges help to fund provision, without the ability to charge it is likely that provision would be reduced.
Read more: Anger as the number of music teachers in Scots primary schools drops by 40%
“Every local authority which charges for instrumental music tuition offers concessions and there are no charges for pupils in receipt of free school meals or those pupils studying for examinations.
“No local authority introducing charges for any service takes the decision lightly, but there needs to be a recognition of the financial constraints local authorities are working with and they are having to make extremely difficult decision as a result of continued cuts to their core budgets.”
Cosla said since 2011/12 local government budgets had decreased significantly, with core funding down by £1.64 billion in real terms.
Some 60,000 pupils received instrumental music lessons in 2017/18.
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