AN AYR man’s campaign against music tuition fees in schools has gone international.

Ralph Riddiough, a voluntary music teacher, lodged a petition against the £200 per school year costs that was introduced at the South Ayrshire Council’s budget at the beginning of March.

This gained more than 3000 signatures and last week, he took his campaign to the Scottish Government, which has received more than 2500 supporters.

South Ayrshire Council and other authorities across Scotland, could be introducing of new charges for music tuition this year, which has touched such a nerve that people across the country – and as far afield as New York and Uganda – are campaigning against the costs.

Mr Riddiough said: “There is a school in New York saying to keep the music tuition free – it is unbelievable.

“There are children in Uganda – you could not make this up – who had seen what was going on and they sent me a video of the band of orphans in Uganda playing brass music [to send us support]. 

“Musicians are so passionate, and I am hoping this is going to be a fun way of getting the message to the Scottish Parliament.

“The petition calls on the government to change the law so that local authorities, including South Ayrshire, cannot cut the service or introduce fees so in other words local authorities have to offer it for free, which is what they use to do.

“I don’t understand why you get lessons in everything else in school for free, but you have to pay for your musical instrument lessons – it just doesn’t make sense to me. 

“When you go to prize giving’s at school, where are the bands going to be? 

“When you go to church, who is going to be playing the piano? 

“It is so short sighted.

“Local authorities have to balance their books and you can’t blame them, but it is just such a tragic failure to join everything up so that’s why I think the Scottish Government should change the law.”

If you would like to support Ralph’s petition, you can find it at http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01694#.WvRhNwZ4YTN

‘I know how music makes a difference’

Teaching music on a voluntary basis, Mr Riddiough understands how much of a difference music can make to a child.

He said: “I know fine well how much of difference music makes to children – it’s great that people in our communities can give lessons, like myself and my friends, for free but it is no substitute.

“I didn’t do well at school and I used to sit in the corner with a grey cloud over my head. When the brass teacher came around asking if anyone wanted to learn, I stuck up my hand and suddenly, I was encouraged, and my self-esteem rose.

"My behaviour improved and my performance at school improved.

“For some children it’s sport but not everyone is sporty – there can be loads of children that aren’t good at sport but are good at music or art.

“We mustn’t put up barriers to that, we must encourage it.”