ONE of the UK’s leading composers has attacked controversial plans to remove school music tuition from council control.

Sally Beamish, a composer and violist who has campaigned against music cuts, spoke out after Midlothian Council was accused of trying to privatise the service.

Midlothian suggested the entire service - including preparation for formal qualifications - should be run by an outside service in a bid to save £200,000 a year.

Another leading composer Sir James MacMillan has already described the plans as an “absolute disgrace”.

Ms Beamish, who until recently lived in Stirlingshire, called for music to be made a central part of the curriculum.

She said: “It is high time music is properly recognised as a vital part of education, not a luxury add-on.

“Scottish cultural life depends on its musicians and the fantastic richness of Scottish music attracts tourism from all over the world.

“But music tuition is not primarily about creating professional musicians. It is a vital part of education which has been shown to help develop children’s brains in many areas including maths, teamwork, confidence, creative thinking and social skills.”

Ms Beamish said school music should have its place “at the centre of the core curriculum” alongside other essential subjects.

The proposal comes just months after the local authority backtracked on previous plans to cuts the service.

Midlothian announced in January that it wanted to axe all music instrumental tuition in its schools - apart from pupils studying exams.

But after outrage from pupils, parents and music teachers councillors rejected the proposals at a budget meeting in February.

Now Midlothian has published a new plan, to be debated next week, to create a “music collaborative or co-operative” to deliver music in schools that would no longer be the responsibility of the local authority.

The proposal document states: “It may be more practical for the music collaborative/co-operative model to deliver all music instruction, including pupils taking SQA music courses.”

A Midlothian Council spokesman said the number of pupils taking instrumental music tuition had fallen by 39 per cent this year creating a budget shortfall of £225,000.

He said: “The current way of delivering this service is not financially viable, especially given the council as a whole is facing a budget shortfall of £4.6m in the next financial year, rising to £18.8m.”