The 2008 National Awards for Excellence in School Music Education Project is funded by the Australian Government under the Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme. The awards are in response to Recommendation 1 from the 2005 Report on the National Review of School Music Education: To enhance the status of school music education. They are administered by the Australian Society for Music Education.
Aims
The Awards Project aims to:
- raise the status of music education in Australian schools;
- Recognise individual teachers and school leaders who have made an outstanding contribution to the provision of music education in Australian schools; and
- Provide opportunities for award recipients to further their professional learning related to music education.
Description of Awards
Up to thirteen awards for excellence and leadership in school music education will be awarded to teachers and school leaders each year. The awards will recognise the recipients' exceptional contribution to enhancing the status and quality of music education in their schools.
Up to eleven teachers will receive an Excellence by a Teacher award for their:
- success as teachers in enabling the development of new musical understandings that build on and enrich students' knowledge and skill in music;
- ability to use a range of approaches to learning and to use creative and innovative ways to arouse curiosity, challenge students' thinking and engage them actively in learning; and
- ability to articulate a vision for their school music programme including proposed future directions.
Up to two school leaders will receive an Excellence by a School Leader award for their explicit support for music education, demonstrated through:
- the schools' policy, curriculum documents and practices;
- their role in valuing, sharing and celebrating music with the school community; and
- their ability to articulate a vision for their school music programme including proposed future directions.
Each recipient will
receive a certificate and a cheque for $5,000, which is intended to
be used to further their professional learning related to music education.
This may include activities such as attendance at conferences, study
tours, or a chosen project in the recipient's school or wider community.
One recipient from each category will receive a 'Highly Commended'
award and be invited to attend a presentation event in mid 2008.