Musical elementary school improves educational opportunities
The Musikalische Grundschule project, funded by the Bertelsmann Stiftung and six German ministries of education, has reached around 200,000 pupils at 400 schools since 2005. The results are encouraging.
According to a Bertelsmann Stiftung press release, 95 percent of teachers and 93 percent of parents at the 90 or so schools participating in the project said that learning with music improves the quality of teaching and has a positive effect on children's development.
96% of teachers and 76% of parents stated that musical elementary school support children individually according to their interests, abilities and strengths. As early as 2011, a study of musical elementary school in Hesse found that cooperation between teachers and interaction between pupils improved significantly after the start of the project.
Around 60,000 pupils currently take part in the music education programs at 350 primary music schools (an average of 175 pupils per school): In Lower Saxony and Hesse at around 100 schools each, in Bavaria at 60 schools, in Thuringia and Berlin at 35 and 37 schools respectively and in North Rhine-Westphalia at 20 schools.
The project started in 2005 in Hesse in cooperation with the local Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs. Over the years, five other federal states have joined as partners. As an important part of school development, the project also supports inclusion and the design of all-day schools.
