19th January 2011 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The education secretary, Michael Gove has criticised the Musicians’ Union for advising teachers to avoid any physical contact with students during lessons. Gove’s comments were reported on the BBC website, after he decided that more sensible guidelines have to be introduced which protect teachers and students, but still allow teachers to do their job.
The Musicians’ Union claims that music teachers are particularly at risk, because they often teach in one-to-one tuition sessions, where any allegation is essentially the student’s word against the teacher’s. The Union stated that teachers careers have been ruined simply by the allegation of improper conduct, even if the teacher is later cleared of any wrongdoing.
Gove believes that this warning enforces the fear culture where it’s thought that any physical contact between a teacher and a student is inappropriate. He said that it is “totally appropriate” and “positively right” for tutors to be contact with pupils when they teach. Gove feels that this is particularly true for music tutors, because they must demonstrate how to properly hold the equipment.
Diane Widdison, national organiser for the Musicians’ Union, said that they exist to protect their members, and stand by the recent guidelines. She added that the restriction of not be able to touch a student requires tutors to be more thoughtful and creative in the way that they teach, and that these other techniques actually positively reinforce the learning process.