The music school could get less subsidy. The director fears an elite education: fewer courses for higher fees could be the result.
Geretsried – piano and guitar, singing and clarinet, euphonium and oboe: the music school in Geretsried offers a wide range of courses. It should be aimed at everyone – including families who are not top earners and also at children who have not enjoyed a high-quality musical education for years. But that is exactly what is at stake now. In the draft budget, the Bavarian state government has provided a significantly lower subsidy for the music schools than the institutions had already planned. Around 22.5 million euros are in the figures. The Association of Bavarian Singing and Music Schools had applied for 26.5 million euros.
Music school Geretsried fears “elite education” – Further funding is shaky
For the music school in Geretsried it would be the second financial setback within a few weeks. The city council recently reduced its subsidy. The city is giving the facility 400,000 euros – 30,000 euros less than last year. “We don’t even know how to deal with it,” says headmistress Sabrina Schwenger. If the Free State would also reduce its funding, “there is a lot to debate”. The timetable on Adalbert-Stifter-Strasse could be cut – and the waiting list would continue to grow. Offers such as the free singing classes in the first classes at the Geretsried elementary schools would have to be put to the test or sponsors would have to be found.
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The hurdle for social concessions for low-income families should be raised. “Then something would happen that we don’t want: We would have an elite formation,” says Schwenger in an interview with our newspaper. Training on a musical instrument would then only be reserved for families who can afford the lessons.
Music school association sends letter to finance minister of Bavaria – “Important educational work”
In the meantime, the music school association has become active. In a letter to the Bavarian Finance Minister Albert Füracker, the VBSM explains the effects that a reduction in the music school subsidy would have. “Should the state parliament pass the draft budget for 2023 unchanged, the missing amounts would ultimately have to be covered by municipalities and parents. In view of the tense financial situation in some municipalities as well as in private households, we don’t see how we can get more involved in cooperation and extracurricular education in the future.” This commitment is “more and more important”. “The music schools in particular have shown in the past crisis years how important their educational work is for social cohesion.”
Reduction in funding: Geretsrieder music school worries about clientele
It is still unclear what the possible reduction in the state subsidy for the Geretsried music school in euros and cents means. “I currently don’t know what to plan with,” says commercial manager Schwenger. Last year, the institution received around 130,000 euros from this pot. “We would like that amount again – at least.” At least because the school has to increase the salaries of its teachers. Salaries are currently at least 15 percent below what their colleagues earn at city music schools – and an increase in the collective agreement for the public sector is currently being discussed.
The music school in Geretsried has also addressed your concern to the member of the state parliament, Martin Bachhuber (CSU). In an e-mail, Schwenger and school management colleague Sabine Beyer emphasize that they cannot come up with a solution to the problem on their own. “Through the developments, we are being squeezed financially in such a way that other solutions than deletions are no longer realistic.” Music would then “only be an offer for privileged children and young people”.
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