23

Regularly conducted by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, the survey into the teaching of music, dance and the dramatic arts examines changes relating to student and teacher numbers, subjects taught and institutions’operational budgets. In metropolitan France, there were 36 regional conservatories ( conservatoires à rayonnement régional, or CRR), and 101 departmental conservatories ( conservatoires à rayonnement départemental, or CRD) teaching music, dance and the dramatic arts to around 155,000 students over the academic year 2008-2009. Student numbers were up 8% compared with the academic year 2006-2007, when the previous survey was conducted. The majority of students (86%) opted to study music, although the numbers studying dance and dramatic arts have shown a significant upturn of 7% and 20% respectively. Over 9000 teachers across all disciplines teach within the institutions covered by the survey. 79% of the financing for these establishments comes from local and regional authorities.