MUSIC teachers are disputing claims by cabinet member Laura Mayes that children will not be affected by any closure of the Wiltshire Music Service under plans to slash spending.

The county’s music teachers disagree with Cllr Mayes about the impact of the loss of an equivalent of ten full-time administrative jobs at County Hall and 76 music teachers employed by the council.

The total saving to the council in a full year will be £247,000.

The plan is to make the teachers self-employed and have them deal with schools directly.

At the moment they get a salary, pension and sick pay from the council, which bills schools for lessons.

Cllr Mayes, lead member for children’s services, said: “I can definitely say that music lessons for children will not change. The only thing that is changing is the exact way the service is delivered.

“At the moment the council acts as a broker between the music teachers and the schools but from the start of the autumn term schools will liaise directly with Wiltshire Education Music Hub which is mainly funded by the Arts Council.”

But one Trowbridge music teacher said: “We are all at risk of redundancy. I don’t know how Laura Mayes can say that there will definitely not be any changes to music lessons for children, and parents won’t have to pay anymore.

“It depends on what teachers want to do. If all of the teachers who are made redundant decide to continue on a self-employed basis there may not be a change, but they will be free to set their own rates, which could be cheaper or more expensive.

“We are in limbo at the moment and we are not sure what the full picture is going to be until the cuts are confirmed. The general feeling is uncertainty and we didn’t expect the whole service to close.”

Cllr Mayes, who confirmed that meetings had already taken place with schools, also pledged that children would not have to pay more for lessons and would still be able to hire instruments.

But one parent David Cooper, of Bradford on Avon, told the Wiltshire Times: “They claim that the Arts Council will sponsor a replacement for this service, but I don’t see how they can possibly maintain the same level.

“I feel really sorry for the teachers as they have been left up in the air and it’s also worth saying that the staff are absolutely brilliant and if we lose them it will be a massive shame.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesman added: “The proposal is to cease the brokerage function so music tutors are in direct contact with schools who will pay them directly.

“Tutors who have been working through the council will be supported in moving to a freelance or small business status and they will be able to continue to offer the same services as they do now with pupils continuing to learn from the same tutors.”