UPDATE


The Globe and Mail - June 19, 2013

Toronto school board saves music program

Toronto, Canada - The Toronto District School Board will save its cherished music program.

 

Trustees voted Wednesday night to balance its books by cutting nearly $30-million.

 

But a proposal to shave $2-million off the deficit by cutting back on itinerant music instructors was shelved. IMIs are musicians who lead bands and strings and steel pan groups in Grades 5 through 8.
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

 

The Globe and Mail - April 17, 2013

Toronto District School Board considers muting music programs to balance budget

Toronto, Canada - The Toronto District School Board is considering cuts to its music programs that could reduce the amount of time elementary students spend playing in bands and orchestras.

The board is tackling a nearly $30-million deficit, and staff suggested in a recent budget report that savings could be found by cutting back on the hours of instruction students get with itinerant music instructors, musicians who lead bands, string and steel pan groups for students in Grade 5 through 8.

The proposed cuts would result in layoffs for about half of the board’s 107 instructors. Students at close to 300 schools would see their band hours reduced by 24 per cent, strings by 29 per cent and steel pans by 19 per cent. The cuts would also eliminate a staff development program that provides music training to teachers.
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  • Salah, was OSA>CFS ever involved in supporting this quest???

  • Toronto has always shown a strong sense of responsibility and involvement.

    In the 70's a combination of the Pan Community, The School Boards and the Municipal government introduced Pan into the public schools system. By the mid 80's the provincial government ( Ministry of Education) took a bold step by initiating Pan in the school as a credited program in all schools in the province of Ontario. We are conducting some research to find out if this is the first city, province and Country that the Pan was involved in the elementary and secondary schools as a credited course and not just extra curricular activities. It certainly did not happen in the birthplace of the Pan, Trinidad. If this is the case it is a historic achievement.  .maybe WST members can check in their City, State, Country  ...whether, if and when was the Pan accepted as a credited course in the public schools. Can someone from Trinidad verify if the Pan program is graded in the public schools ( elementary and secondary) .I am not referring to the University level.

    Anyways  kudos to Toronto and the Pan program in the Public  ( Elementary and Secondary ) schools.

    Salah

  • I agree with Slah.As well as this is an event that happens internationally. It is a solid and brave move by the Toronto Board 

    to maintain the music program in Toronto. Great work . We know it's not easy but it's life saving.

  • "Toronto school board saves music program" This is great news for all the kids involved .Somebody woke up and convinced the trustees that music of all kinds is important in the development of children and our beloved steel pan. To all the teachers of music out there , especially PAN ------- CONGRATULATIONS.

  • I have just signed the Petition

    Salah

  • Andre  there are teachers who are doing string instruments and other stuff like recorders ,, they are mobilizing by bringing in people Anne Murray and KD Lang and other Canadian artists. It would be good for the Pan Fraternity to also Mobilize,. All the  Toronto Pan Teachers should get together. I will show up also...It is also a good opportunity for the Ontario Steelpan  Association OSA to make some representation . These are opportunities to step forward for the sake of Pan ..Your name says  Ontario Steelpan Association.  The Canadian Federation of Steelpan CFS should do the same

    Stand up and have a say guys

    Salah

  • The arts are always an unfair and unjust target.  Real and dying shame.  You should consult with Salo also as he teaches steelpan in the TDSB.

  • First of all is good to know that WST is on the ball with this type of information ...good stuff

    This is not good news for the Pan program in Toronto schools ( The TDSB has the largest concentration of Pan programs in Canada at least 44 school programs in elementary and secondary schools) .even though it is the smallest cut (19%) of the other types of music ...any cut in the pan program is not positive.

    The TDSB Pan program is one of the subjects of my present research project so I will be looking into this situation with more thrust. In an interview with  Ian Jones ( Steelpan veteran who has been working with the TDSB) he did indicate that their might be some problems as regards what has been mentioned ...but we will do more research on this matter

    Salah

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