Etobicoke parent Syma Saleem says she’s incredibly disappointed and frustrated that her son Hussain, who just started Grade 6 at his middle school, is facing a one-third reduction in enriched music instruction there.

Saleem and other Toronto District School Board parents knew in the spring that a $1.4-million cut was coming to the $5-million itinerant music instructor program — which includes instruction on steel pan, band and string instruments for students in Grades 5 to 8 — but the specifics weren’t made known until late last week.

Saleem was told last week by school staff that students at her son’s school, John G. Althouse, will now receive two teaching periods of itinerant instruction, down from three. Saleem has been told the school is also cutting its elite strings, elite band and stage band instruction, offered in Grades 7 and 8.

The itinerant music program is part of the “school’s fabric,” Saleem says.

“My kids aren’t athletic, but this is something they could take part in that is under the school’s banner and something they can excel at,” says Saleem, whose 15-year old daughter, Mariam, went through the program and continues to play the trombone at a high level. So much so that she plays in a youth band in Etobicoke that recently performed in Washington, D.C.

Hussain, 11, plans to take saxophone lessons at John G. Althouse.

“The community has invested heavily in helping to purchase instruments for (students in John G. Althouse’s itinerant program) and the auditorium at another local school is full when our students perform there,” Saleem went on to say.

Faced with a $67.8-million shortfall, the TDSB made the decision to trim the itinerant music program across the board by 24 per cent in hours allocated, travel time and travel expenses. The board says it has done so in an equitable manner to ensure the program — which exists in addition to regular music instruction in schools — is delivered more fairly across its schools.

“Some schools will get more IMI (itinerant music instruction), a limited number will see a significant reduction,” board spokesperson Ryan Bird told the Star.

At the primary grade levels the program also provides vocal, recorder, and musical instruction that includes movement and speech. This component hasn’t been touched by the cuts.

Parents at Rosedale Junior Public School in Toronto were stunned to learn Friday the school is slashing the steel pan program by 80 per cent. That means getting rid of steel pan instruction from junior kindergarten to Grade 5, and only offering 2.5 hours of instruction in Grade 6.

The board says the cuts bring the school in line with others in the TDSB because Rosedale is the only school that had steel pan from JK to Grade 5.

Not all TDSB schools offer steel pan instruction.

Approximately 320 schools have Grade 5 to 8 itinerant music programs. The Toronto District School Board, the largest in Canada, has 582 schools and 246,000 students.

In a letter, parents of Rosedale junior public students expressed their frustration about the steel pan reductions.

“The steel pan program at (Rosedale Junior) has a long and distinguished history of fostering diversity, excellence and achievement. Through a combination of parental fundraising and (musical director Salmon Cupid’s) dedication … all classes from JK-Grade 6 have had access to the benefits of our wonderful steel pan program for many years,” a letter signed by the school, school council and parent community reads.

The letter goes on to ask for the continuation of the lost hours and the “survival” of the program.

It’s unclear at this time how many itinerant music teachers, who aren’t Ontario College of Teachers certified but rather instructors skilled at specific instruments, will be impacted by the cuts or lose their jobs.

David Spek, a co-ordinator with CUPE, which represents the instructors and who is himself a violin instructor, believes the board can find other savings, such as through administrative cost reductions.

“We always maintain the board can find that money somewhere else and should not be sacrificing the education of the students,” Spek said.

Trustee Chris Moise, who represents the area that includes Rosedale junior public, said he received about 150 emails Friday, mostly parents expressing concern about the steel pan reductions.

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He said he is a big fan of the steel pan program — “I value the steel pan program. I love it” — but was caught between a rock and a hard place given recent provincial cutbacks in education funding.

“(The cuts) are not something we’re doing willy nilly. It’s with a heavy heart that we have to reduce this program,” he said.

Clarification - Sept. 15 - This story was updated from an earlier version to reflect the fact that Toronto District School Board spokesperson Ryan Bird later clarified comments he made about reductions to the Itinerant Music Instruction. Bird says “some schools will get more IMI (itinerant music instruction), a limited number will see a significant reduction.”