To: East Renfrewshire Council We ask East Renfrewshire Council to cancel their planned cuts to the Music Service. A total of 33% cuts to instrumental tuition will decimate music in East Renfrewshire, and stop everything that it truly outstanding about East Renfrewshire's current system. The council propose to cut primary instrumental provision with focus on secondary school pupils only, and are "reconsidering" both the Saturday music centre at Williamwood High School and the Wednesday music centre at Carlibar Primary School. We ask you to reconsider your assessment of the value of instrumental tuition on the lives of our youngsters and our communities. We believe that East Renfrewshire's music education is outstanding and a superb asset to the local community . The instrumental teachers are key to students' individual successes. Current high Music curricular examination results are reliant on these teachers. How can these staff members be classed as "extra-curricular" when they are responsible for 60% of the total mark for anyone sitting an SQA exam. Students from all backgrounds currently access musical tuition. It is a progressive and inclusive model which will certainly revert to an elitist activity if the cuts proceed. The various orchestras and bands bring great kudos to East Renfrewshire. The standard of excellence which every student achieves before acceptance into these ensembles takes years of instrumental tuition. This will no longer be possible if we ignore primary schools and focus only on secondary, resulting in the slow death of our finest and most democratic arts institution. Show your commitment to the arts and culture in East Renfrewshire by understanding and protecting its most precious asset: its Music Service. Sincerely, The Undersigned