Music teachers will be setting up an association that will aim to raise standards and encourage more students to tap into their musical talents and learn how to play instruments.

“The Maltese population does not sing. This can be witnessed by going to Mass where very few people sing along with the hymns. We need to encourage young children to sing,” said Antoine Frendo, who is helping to set up the Association of Music Educators in Malta.

The association is expected to start operating in mid-September when its committee members will be nominated.

It will seek to raise the standards of music education and promote teachers’ professional education by organising courses and collaborating with foreign lecturers.

It will also serve as a platform where music teachers can unite and make their voices heard on important issues.

A piano teacher present during yesterday’s preliminary meeting asked whether the association would do anything about the government’s recent announcement to temporarily close the Johann Strauss School of Music in Valletta.

The plan is to temporarily re-locate the school to a number of different centres around the island while the Valletta building is refurbished.

Lifelong Learning director Mario Azzopardi clarified that the idea was to have a Central School of Specialisation with a network of branches in various regions around the islands.

The centres would provide courses in music appreciation and music tuition at basic levels in various instruments and music theory under the direction of the School of Music. Successful students would have the opportunity to audition and proceed to the central school to pursue their studies at more advanced levels.

Mariella Cassar, an education officer who is helping to set up the association, said it would be up to the association’s committee to decide whether to monitor the outcome of the government’s decision. Ms Cassar explained that the association would be able to push for improvement in the teaching of music. As from this year government primary schools will teach basic theory to pupils, who will learn how to read music.

Schools would also be encouraged to set up choirs to participate in an annual choir festival, she said.

Negotiations were also under way with the University of Malta to introduce a Matriculation and Secondary Education Certificate (Matsec) exam in music within the next two years.

The association will also be involved in setting up a conference, to be held in October, on the future of string education in Malta.

For more information e-mail antoinefrendo@yahoo.co.uk or mariella.p.cassar@gov.mt.