A New Award for the Best Music Teachers in Australia

21 February 2007

One of the Federal Government's early responses to the 2005 report of the National Review of School Music Education was the promise of a national awards scheme to recognise excellence in school music teaching. Well…Drum roll… the Awards are now open. They will be run under the Australian Government Quality Teacher Program and administered by the Australian Society for Music Education (ASME).

The National Awards for Excellence in School Music Education comprise up to ten Awards for teachers and three for principals/school leaders. Each Award recipient will receive a grant of $5000 to spend on professional development in music education.

The ten teachers' Awards will go to music educators for their success as teachers in enabling the development of new musical understandings that build on and enrich students' knowledge and skill in music. The Awards will also recognise 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.

The School Leaders' Awards will go to School Principals who have demonstrated commitment to music education through the schools' policy, curriculum documents and practices and their role in valuing, sharing and celebrating music with the school community.

Guidelines, nomination forms and promotional material are now available on the ASME website.

Nomination forms must be in by April 30, 2007. The winners will be announced at the ASME National Conference in Perth in July.