Policy and the lives of school-age children

Chapter synopsis: This chapter explores the role of policy in children’s lives, and their role in shaping and redefining policy. As various agents act on policy, changing the context in which interpretation and implementation occur, policies themselves change. The chapter places the child as a key voice in educational policy formation and change. It makes the argument that less codified ways of looking at policy can aid in promoting agency and expertise of teachers and children as knowledgeable contributors to policy development. Readers interested in policy that is active and not just enshrined in stagnant texts will find this a compelling chapter. The chapter challenges us to consider that children do not simply “receive” music education policy in the practice of the classroom; they also engage in acts of meaning-making and interpretation as they participate in the practical manifestations of music education policy.