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NEW DRIVE TO HARMONISE QUALIFICATIONS
A major project is currently under way which has the potential to benefit pipers and pipe band drummers worldwide. The aim of the project is to harmonise the qualifications in piping and pipe band drumming currently available through the 5 principal organisations in Scotland involved in the promotion and development of the bagpipe and pipe band music:
The Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming;
- The College of Piping;
- The National Piping Centre;
- The Piobaireachd Society; and
- The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association
The project has been in progress for the past year and is a partnership venture aimed at making available a single structure of jointly certificated qualifications embracing piping, pipe band drumming and pipe band studies. The possibility of having the new qualifications nationally accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority is also being explored to further enhance their status. In effect the new structure will be an amalgamation and updating of the existing “Institute of Piping” qualifications (which are presently offered jointly by the National Piping Centre, College of Piping, Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming and the Piobaireachd Society) and the Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced Certificates available from the RSPBA. The intention is that the new qualifications will be certificated by a Piping and Drumming Qualifications Board (PDQB) which will be representative of the 5 organisations. The existing qualifications will retain their status in comparison with the equivalent levels of new awards. The individual identities and profiles of the organisations will not be affected.
The single structure of qualifications will have significant benefits in the interests of consistency of standards, accessibility, pooling of expertise and costs. The proposed unification would be strengthened further, and even more credible, by embracing the expertise of the SQA so that the qualifications have national accreditation. The qualifications will be available in Scotland and in other countries through accredited centres. In the longer term there is also potential to develop the structure to provide qualifications for adjudicators and a wider range of qualifications for piping and drumming instructors. In general the project has the potential to enhance the status of piping and pipe band music, and to encourage greater participation in these forms of Scotland’s traditional music. Look for announcements during the next few months about the plans for implementation of the new qualifications during 2006.