Music in schools is to receive extra funding, the government has announced - on the same day that a report has claimed that pupils are missing out on the arts.

An extra �10m is to be made available each year to support music in schools, announced the Schools Minister Jacqui Smith.

The announcement means that the "music standards fund" will have �60m a year for school music up until 2003-2004.

The additional funding, intended to widen access to music tuition and instruments, was announced in the wake of a report from the Royal Society of Arts which showed that many pupils were not experiencing the benefits of music, art and dance while at school.

The report claimed that schools providing a wide range of arts subjects, such as drama, theatre and music, were an exception.

The society also warned the government that creating specialist schools could reinforce some children's views that the arts were only for the very talented.

'Poor provision'

The society's study found arts education offered wide ranging benefits to students in schools where provision was good as each of the arts develops different and useful skills.

But the overall picture was of poor arts provision throughout the country, with few schools providing good teaching in all the art forms.

Only three per cent of 15-year-olds were found to have had dance classes at school.

The report also found that two thirds of school leavers believed they had learned little from their music studies.

Many pupils said they thought arts subjects were for a talented few.

The society said the government's policy of creating specialist arts schools could reinforce this belief.

But the schools minister argued that extra support for the arts would make a difference and that more children would gain the benefit of learning an instrument.

"Every child, whatever their background should have the chance to learn a musical instrument. Music is an important part of a rounded education that not only gives children great pleasure but also bring self-confidence and self-esteem," said Jacqui Smith.

"This extra money will help to ensure that not only instruments are available but that teachers themselves have the opportunity for training that will bring their skills up to date."