In recent times there has been a resurgence of interest in the history of music education, which has opened up new opportunities for the re-interpretation of both established and changing philosophies, pedagogies and practices. Historical research into music services within LEAs is still a fertile area for investigation. This thesis brings new arguments and evidence to bear upon an under-researched and emerging area of study. The focus of this particular investigation emerged from the author’s earlier research into the history of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) music service, the findings of which revealed three interrelated factors underpinning its development: funding and commitment, strong leadership, and the ‘London’ factor. These earlier research findings prompted further questions leading to the conception of the rationale and focus for this thesis. The first was to ask if government reports, and the ensuing initiatives they fuelled, had led to other LEAs developing their approaches to state music education in similar or parallel ways and at similar rates, and the second was to examine the role that individuals played in steering the direction of music education within the different authorities. Empirical research has provided an overview of the developments in England within three separate demographically contrasting LEAs: Leicestershire, London and Manchester, which in turn represent a large rural county, the capital city, and a relatively large northern industrial city. During the period of the chosen time frame of this study the LEAs, and those appointed to lead them, were at their most powerful and influential, but, from the mid-1970s onwards, their autonomy gradually declined as education became more centralised through government intervention, resulting in loss of power and the consequent sidelining of their role, a situation which impacted significantly on state provision for music. This thesis examines the consequences of the effects of decision making, by organisations, and their individual interpretation, on music education thinking and practice.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:590884 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Adams, Pauline |
| Publisher | University College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10018207/ |
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