Music Charity Boosts School Attendance 13.6% in Australia

Cooper Hamilton-Riley grins as he creates complex rhythms with his hands and feet, feeling the drums resonate through the music room. The proud Biripi boy is experiencing something most Australian public school students miss out on: quality music education before seventh grade.

In New South Wales, public primary schools don't have dedicated music teachers. That means thousands of kids go without learning to read music or play instruments during the years when their brains are most primed to absorb these skills.

"That's like saying I'm going to teach you to read when you're 13," says Matt Zarb from the Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF). His nonprofit fills the gap by bringing weekly music classes to regional, remote, and disadvantaged primary schools across the state.

At Taree Public School, Zarb worked with Cooper's class to write and perform an original song celebrating Biripi culture. Students learned traditional dance, language, and dress alongside drumming and composition. "It makes me feel stronger about my culture and happy to be Biripi and Aboriginal," Cooper says.

The impact goes beyond cultural pride. Cooper's teacher Toni Baxter watched shy students transform into confident performers. Principal Di Murray reports attendance has "improved immensely" since ACMF started at Taree in 2014, now matching the state average of 90%.

At Kempsey South Public School, the numbers tell an even clearer story. Student attendance jumped 13.6% between 2022 and 2024 after ACMF's program launched.

Science backs up what teachers are seeing in their classrooms. Dr. Anita Collins, a neuro-musical educator at the University of Canberra, says learning music creates brain pathways that improve language learning and mathematical thinking. "As soon as you do music, you're actually improving the pathway for language," she explains.

The Ripple Effect

The NSW government took notice. After a 2024 parliamentary inquiry examining music education inequity, officials created 30 recommendations for a 10-year plan. Solutions include training primary teachers in music specialization and funding partnerships between schools and arts organizations.

Deputy Premier Prue Carr says the state's music education plan will be released in coming weeks. But experts like Dr. Collins warn that nonprofits shouldn't have to fill gaps the education system should cover.

Zarb agrees. "I would love to see myself out of a job," he says. His dream solution: creative arts teachers who rotate between three schools, ensuring every child gets professional music instruction.

For now, the drums keep beating at Taree Public. "If the kids are getting a chance to experience, read and play music, sing, their whole existence is better at school," Zarb says.