Vaud music schools
For some forty years, music schools in the canton of Vaud have been grouped together under an umbrella organization: the Association vaudoise des conservatoires et écoles de musique (AVCEM).
Les Petites voix de l'Ecole de musique de Lausanne, member of ACVEM.
Photo : EML
AVCEM has been campaigning for decades for a cantonal law on music schools, Vaud being one of the last cantons in Switzerland not to have one. The law was finally passed in 2011, and is intended to guarantee quality teaching for students and recognition of the profession for teachers.
Twelve years on, while the range of courses available to students has grown considerably, the number of students has not. The sensitive issues of tuition fees and accessibility for all remain recurrent. Will instrumental teaching become a luxury? On the contrary, I believe that practicing music should be an educational and social choice. It's up to us to make politicians aware that polite support will not suffice to achieve the objectives also set by constitutional article 67a", replies Vincent Baroni, President of the AVCEM.
As for the teaching staff, their status has been considerably changed and recognized. A salary grid makes it easier to visualize a career plan. "As a corollary to this recognition, the demanding framework of the law, particularly with regard to the prerequisites for hiring teachers, is a hindrance during the recruitment process. And it's true that equal treatment of all schools does not reflect the very different realities of each one," adds Vincent Baroni.
Among the challenges ahead, the AVCEM wants to ensure sustainable funding, particularly with regard to the salary indexations imposed by the canton. It also wants to ensure that music teaching is accessible to all, through appropriate fees, and to enable schools to develop despite the rather strict legal context. She is interested in the place of digital technology in teaching and wishes to pursue the administrative professionalization of all schools.
Another aim enshrined in the association's articles of association is to stimulate relations between schools. The AVCEM encourages artistic collaboration (concerts and joint projects) and pedagogical collaboration (joint examinations). The Director's Conference provides a forum for discussing common problems, and constantly strives to find ways of harmonizing rather than standardizing. Last but not least, music schools are invited to take part in ongoing training days for both teachers and directors.
