Dear
friends,
We
would like to share with you our deep concern about the unfair
situation in which the Music
Conservatory Esteban Sanchez in
Merida
finds itself. After 30 years of hard work, effort and enthusiasm,
the City Council of Mérida is trying to
do away with the city’s musical and cultural heritage due
to the economic
situation and educational competencies.
As
of the 2012-13 school year, the City Council of Mérida has cut off
enrollment of new students and threatens to reduce the faculty
members by up to 20% for the next school year. They also plan to
reduce the number of students for next year by 20%, “dumping” the
economic cost of the institution on the students by increasing fees
over 400% to cover the entire school budget (we are talking about up
to 4000€/year per student). This not only means that the
Conservatory will no longer be able to admit new students, but more
importantly that 80 students will be forced to leave the Conservatory
after years
of pursuing their studies there.
Over
30 years, more than 3,200 students have passed through the halls of
the Conservatory of Merida. It was the first music conservatory in
Extremadura to offer flamenco guitar as a specialty in the
Professional Studies degree. It is the first Conservatory in Spain
to offer its students courses in Music Therapy. Among its most
ambitious projects is the OSCAM, the Symphony
Orchestra of the Conservatories of Merida and Almendralejo,
which received the “Tomás García Verdejo” Award in 2010 for
good educational practices. Since 2011 the OSCAM participates in
ARCE Program which promotes cooperation between educational centers
of different regions of Spain and is supported by the Ministry of
Education.
The Conservatory is an active
organizer and promoter of musical and cultural heritage, carrying out
projects such as “See the music in your classroom” directed to
all the elementary schools in the area, Educational Concerts which
bring together more than a thousand students all ages and Music
Festivals such as “Cultural Week” and “Music in the Spring”,
annual events that have become a cultural reference for the entire
city.
We
want to defend our heritage and request your help. You can help by
signing
our petition
of
signatures of support,
sending
us a letter
and giving
publicity to an unfair situation.
WE NEED YOUR
SIGNATURE TO SUPPORT THE
MUSIC CONSERVATORY
ESTEBAN SÁNCHEZ OF MÉRIDA
Music
is also world heritage!
Defending education is the
best investment for the future of our country
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