L-R: Catherine Léglu, Uni.lu; Georg Mein, Uni.lu; Minister Claude Meisch; Gilbert Busana, Uni.lu; Adrien Theato, Conservatoire du Nord; Marc Meyers, Conservatoire de Luxembourg; Marc Treinen, Conservatoire d’Esch-sur-Alzette; Gilles Lacour, Commissioner;
Credit: University of Luxembourg
Luxembourg's Ministry of Education, Children and Youth and the Ministry for Higher Education and Research have announced that the University of Luxembourg and the country's three conservatoires are joining forces to offer a new bachelor's degree in music education from the start of the 2021/22 academic year.
As an integral part of the educational landscape, music education has been one of the missions of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth since December 2018. This new bachelor is designed to make it possible to offer quality training to future teachers and to ensure the recruitment of new teachers for the needs of music education establishments in Luxembourg.
The new bachelor in music education was presented on Tuesday 4 May 2021 by the Minister of Education, Children and Youth and Minister for Higher Education and Research, Claude Meisch, as well as Catherine Léglu, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at the University of Luxembourg, Georg Mein, the Dean of the Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education, and Gilbert Busana, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences.
Minister Claude Meisch commented: “I am particularly pleased that the University of Luxembourg is organising this new training course, in collaboration with the country's three conservatoires, to provide a national response to the needs of the music education sector. Musical culture is an important vector of social cohesion and contributes to the development of children and young people”.
Around 750 teachers are currently employed in Luxembourg's various music education establishments. The sector is booming and new teachers are recruited every year. In addition, around 18,000 children, young people and adults currently attend municipal music schools.
In recent months, discussions have been held between the University of Luxembourg and the conservatoires of the City of Luxembourg, the City of Esch-sur-Alzette and the North with a view to organising a music education training offer adapted to the programmes of municipal music schools. One of the challenges is to eventually be able to recruit teachers in the most in-demand branches, such as musical training, instrumental training and singing.
As part of the new three-year bachelor, the University of Luxembourg will provide training in musicology and musical pedagogy (120 ECTS), whilst the conservatoires will be in charge of musical and instrumental training (60 ECTS).
The conservatoires are thus entrusted with a new mission by participating in the training of music education teachers. The University of Luxembourg can rely on their experience and know-how concerning practice as well as music didactics.
In addition, future teachers will familiarise themselves from the outset with the study programmes and the needs of Luxembourg music education and will prepare their professional integration as well as possible.
Concerning training provided by the University of Luxembourg, the skills to be developed will be identical to those of the bachelor's degree in educational sciences.
The bachelor's degree in music education will open opportunities to work at the level of municipal music education establishments in Luxembourg, but also in private music education. Upon successful completion of the degree, students will also be able to continue their training with a master's degree at another university.
Registrations are now open until 27 June 2021. Further information is available at bem.uni.lu.
