Julian Lloyd Webber has called on the UK government to make music education compulsory in schools, warning that many children are leaving without any exposure to classical music. Speaking at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, the cellist and younger brother of Andrew Lloyd Webber highlighted a significant decline in music's presence in the school curriculum.

Lloyd Webber pointed to figures indicating that fewer than half of state schools enter pupils for music GCSEs, with 42 percent of schools reportedly not submitting any students for the qualification. He described the situation as a "musical crisis," emphasizing that despite music being on the curriculum, the subject is not mandatory, resulting in many students missing out on formal instruction in music.

“The issue won’t be resolved until music is made a compulsory subject, supported from the top levels of government,” Lloyd Webber said. He expressed hope that Andy Burnham, the former culture secretary and current political figure, would champion compulsory music education, noting that prior commitments by Labour leader Keir Starmer to enhance music teaching had not materialized.

A recent report from the House of Lords has documented steady declines in music participation at GCSE, A-level, and vocational qualifications. The report recommended mandatory instrumental learning in primary schools as a way to reverse this trend.

Lloyd Webber lamented the erosion of what he described as a once-world-leading music education system. “Music was in every state school,” he said. “Classical music has slipped out of our mainstream culture.”

The call for compulsory music education reflects broader concerns about preserving cultural enrichment and ensuring access to the arts for all students. However, specific government responses or plans to adjust education policy on this issue have yet to be announced.