People have different views on whether playing a musical instrument should be taught at school. While other people believe that such subjects as mathematics and science may teach skills that are particularly relevant to children`s lives, I would argue that playing a musical instrument may improve children`s ability to study, boosts creativity, and rid of the stress stemming from the school life, and should therefore be taught in all schools.
Those that feel that playing musical instruments should be replaced point out the relevance of other subjects, such as mathematics, biology, or physics. When children have scientific classes, they learn valuable skills that can help them in their lives, such as how to calculate the family budget or conduct their first survey, which can inspire and even influence their future career choice. Moreover, by getting good results in these subjects, children tend to get into a more prestigious university and their future might be safeguarded. In contrast, musical instruments, they argue, do not teach valuable skills; only note memorization and extra time spent after school to practice the instrument.
However, I would argue that children should learn how to play a musical instrument during school time as it cultivates children`s creativity and promotes their psychological well-being. Firstly, the process of learning and playing a musical instrument has been found to be related to one`s creativity and improving memorizing skills. In the other words, learning an instrument teaches a child how to create, store, and retrieve memories more effectively. For instance, in schools with compulsory musical classes understanding mathematics and other scientific subjects among children in age 10-15 was 30% better than in schools where studying music was optional. Scientists have explained this by the fact that by understanding beat, rhythm, and scales, children are learning how to divide, create fractions and recognize patterns easier. Moreover, playing musical instruments allows children to relax and this would give children a means to reduce stress while studying. Hence, learning musical instruments boosts creativity, and educational skills and provides some kind of mental stability for children.
In conclusion, while it is true that other subjects teach relevant skills to children, I would argue that all children should learn how to play musical instruments as it is beneficial to their cognitive development and mental health.