Diversity in Opera would improve more rapidly and permanently if junior and secondary schools could be encouraged to offer more music teaching and include Opera, which is generally excluded. This would be of greater impact for Inner city schools with a diverse multicultural intake .Some, such a Galleons Primary school in Newham, teach their curriculum wherever possible through music, dance, drama and art, but this is the exception
A number of organisations exist to help promote Music teaching or to form partnerships, such as Tête à Tête Opera (with Royal College of Music) Baylis Opera Squad, Tri-borough Music Hub and London Music Matters. All promote the study of classical music, choral and Opera. In 2016 Opera up Close created an education and participation programme, partnering with theatre in education company, Big Wheel.
Despite these initiatives, there is little follow up to foster ongoing education or productions at those schools. The best outcome would be for schools to develop a music curriculum that included an Opera module, but the current narrowing of the subjects taught at schools and pressure on budgets make this ambition much harder to realise. However with a growing range of fringe opera groups promoting new and multimedia opera in the UK, there is a unique opportunity to engage a younger and more diverse following, by developing closer and longer term links with UK schools.