Scottish schools will be given an additional £1 million to buy musical instruments for their pupils.
The move was announced by minister for learning, Dr Alasdair Allan, who has also formed a new group to address the issue of how music tuition is delivered, including the question of charges for pupils sitting SQA music exams.
Dr Allan said: “We believe that every child should have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument as part of their general education. Currently, there are too many children being put off taking up music because of the cost of the instrument. I have asked for two clear courses of action to fix this.
“Firstly, the Scottish Government will provide Scottish schools with an extra £1million to buy musical instruments. Secondly, I have asked that people come together in a new Instrumental Music Group to look at how we deliver music tuition, including the question of charges for pupils sitting SQA music exams.
“The group’s work will also examine how we ensure local musical traditions are catered for, as well as studying what role the wider musical community can play in supporting our ambitions for our children.”