Irish rock band U2 recently announcd it is providing five million euros between now and 2015 to help fund music education for children in Ireland amid sweeping budget cuts that would normally rule out arts education. In Ireland as well as here in the United States, when education faces monetary cuts, the arts are the first so-called “extra” to lose funding.
This sizable donation will pay for musical equipment teachers to tutor the nation’s students. An additional two million euro is being provided by Ireland Funds, an international charitable organization supported by people of Irish ancestry all around the world. These combined funds hope to bridge a gap between now and 2015, with the ultimate goal of government taking over by then.
The Irish government education spending cuts are a desperate attempt to save 6 billion euros this year, and are part of the terms of the national economic bailout package. Education Minister Ruairi Quinn stated that he is “very grateful for U2″ during this time when his country does not find itself “in a position” to invest in arts education.
Over the next seven years the outlook is not much better for Ireland’s educational funding. Projections see an increase in expenditure cuts growing at an annual rate of 10%. With much of Europe feeling the effects of global financial crises, just as here in the United States, it remains to be seen whether funding will be replaced by the Irish government by 2015, but people are hopeful that some alternate method of continuing these programs can be arrived at before they expire.
Ireland, like all Celtic nations, has a deep rooted history of spoken and sung lore. The Celtic way of life has always been closely associated with music and storytelling, so keeping funding for music education alive in the schools is less about frivolity and more about preserving the culture.
About the Author: Eowin O’Toole is a graduate student of Celtic music and history living in the United States. As such, he knows well the necessity of having reliable home alarm systems in areas prone to crime. He plans to move back to the UK after grad school.