Kent used to have a really good music education system. Children who had the wish could get low cost lessons on an instrument at their school during the school day. The school might even lend an instrument.
Schools were then delegated their budgets and had to decide how to spend their money. Many decided they had to mend the leaks in the roof rather than on music. Instrument tuition became the preserve of the well off. The grammar schools where most of the rich went could keep their music going. The rest mostly failed. The class music teacher had to teach the national curriculum - a little bit about lots - not much about anything. It left little time for the promotion of real skills.
Any teacher who had enough energy left after a time table of such teaching deserves every award going.
FloraG