A growing chorus of musicians, former students and parents are rallying behind a petition calling for urgent reforms at the Saint Lucia School of Music (SSM), the island’s only formal music education institution.
The campaign, spearheaded by musician and educator Robert Rene, a former student and teacher at the SSM, has garnered over 330 signatures.
Rene launched the petition amid mounting public scrutiny of the school’s leadership, which critics accuse of presiding over declining standards, rising costs and exclusion of underprivileged youth over the past decade.
“One of the hallmarks of the institution, especially back in the day, was that it catered to a wide cross-section of the country in terms of economic backgrounds,” Rene told St Lucia Times in an interview. “Now, one of the accusations you hear is that there aren’t programmes affordable for just regular middle-income Saint Lucians.”
Rene’s ties to the school date back to the early 2000s when he joined the National Youth Choir. He returned as a workshop facilitator in August 2021 and was hired as a teacher the following month. However, by December, he had resigned, citing deep concerns.
“I think there’s a lot of poor decision-making taking place, a lot of decisions are not being made in the best interest of the school,” he said. “There is a lot of operational incompetence that I am seeing, to be quite candid, which is why I tell people I don’t think that you can absolve the management of the school from any responsibility.”
Rene is calling for an operational audit to address systemic issues. In his petition, he lamented the school’s declining performance standards: “When the school’s ensemble is asked to perform, the standard of performance is notably lacking which results in an embarrassment, not for those who bear witness, but for the innocent students who are eager for the opportunity to share their love for music with anyone willing to listen.”
He added that others have voiced similar concerns through formal and informal channels. “Anytime people leave an institution at a rapid rate, you have to ask ‘what’s really going on?’”
SSM board responds
In response, the SSM board of directors acknowledged challenges but pushed back against claims of elitism.
“We are not an elitist institution, but accept and cater to all students regardless of race, creed or financial status,” the board stated.
They highlighted outreach programmes designed to include at-risk youth who may struggle with tuition, emphasising that these initiatives provide music education, discipline and community. However, the directors said that such programmes rely on funding and officials were constantly seeking new resources to sustain and enhance the school’s offerings.
The board also assured that improvements are underway, including better compliance with statutory obligations and curriculum updates to meet students’ evolving needs.
“We view these criticisms as an opportunity to review our systems and structures,” the board said. “We are committed to making whatever changes may be deemed necessary for the betterment of this much-needed institution.”
Founded in 1987, the SSM was established to fill the island’s music education gap, operating with partial government support. Its mission has long been to promote accessible, excellence-driven programmes, with a focus on Saint Lucian and Caribbean musical traditions.
Rene, however, fears the school’s current trajectory risks leaving talent untapped.
“As a young man who came from La Croix Maingot who did not have certain means when I was growing up, I understood what being a part of the National Youth Choir meant for me,” he said.
The SSM, meanwhile, points to its successes, noting alumni in the police band, local music festivals and even international stages.
