Neuruppin music school in crisis: dozens of students without piano lessons!

Neuruppin music school in crisis: dozens of students without piano lessons!

Who doesn't know the gentle sounds of a piano? However, at the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district music school, many students are faced with closed doors because piano lessons are currently canceled for many music students. The reason for this is an acute personnel shortage that is not caused by the recently imposed budget freeze or a hiring freeze by the district. As maz-online reports, it is unclear how many The total of six piano teachers are currently missing. The district spokeswoman announced that this bottleneck should be “resolved quickly,” but the exact date is still unclear – summer or fall seems possible.

The Ostprignitz-Ruppin district music school, headquartered in Neuruppin, is an important educational institution for those interested in music and has around 900 students in the areas of early musical education, instrumental lessons and singing. This non-profit institution, which has been considered a “recognized music school in the state of Brandenburg” since 2001, is a member of the Brandenburg Association of Music and Art Schools. V. Even though the piano is one of the most popular instruments, the school has a wide range of instruments, ranging from orchestral instruments to guitar and drums. The aim is to introduce children and young people to music and to encourage them to make music themselves, as the alte Gymnasium Neuruppin explains.

The background to the bottleneck

The staff shortage is a phenomenon that can be observed in many music schools in Germany. The shortage of teachers, particularly in the field of music, is becoming increasingly worrying, as uebenundmusizieren notes. A survey by the state association of music schools in North Rhine-Westphalia shows that 74% of the schools surveyed have difficulties filling new or new positions. The current lockdowns and pandemic-related restrictions have also taken a toll on musical education in Germany. The number of applicants for music education courses has fallen sharply due to the lack of prospects and the high training requirements.

Over the next ten years, around 4,000 positions will become vacant in music schools in North Rhine-Westphalia, but replacements are not guaranteed. Many young teachers move into regular school service because they enjoy better working conditions and remuneration. These developments not only endanger musical education in schools, but also the valuable experience of making music together, which is of great importance for the development of children and young people.

In Neuruppin, the students hope that piano lessons can take place regularly again soon, because music is more than just a hobby - it is a language that connects everyone. At the moment it only remains to be seen when the staff shortage in the district music school will be resolved so that the piano keys can be made to sound again.