For all children, the ability to play a musical instrument is just as important as the ability to read and write.’ How far do you agree with this suggestion? How important is it for a child to learn to play a musical instrument, in your view?

As an introduction, the question of which skills to prioritise for a child’s early education is important for all parents and educators, and

music

can certainly claim to be a key possibility when deciding which abilities to teach.

However

, I feel that playing

music

is actually less important than basic

literacy

, and I will explain the reasons here.

Firstly

, it seems simplistic to say that

music

is paramount ‘for all

children

.’ Certainly, there are some

children

who are highly talented or have a great interest in

music

, and when we think of childhood prodigies

such

as Beethoven or Yehudi Menuhin we see how

this

talent can be brought out.

However

,

such

talents are rare, and even the enjoyment and cultural values to be gained from learning

music

cannot genuinely be compared to the benefits of becoming literate.

Secondly

, it is a fact that

literacy

is a guarantee of academic progress and the absorption of information

while

playing

music

does not offer

this

security.

For example

, it would be unimaginable to transmit scientific or mathematical information to

children

via the medium of

music

.

Finally

, it is surely wiser to regard

music

as one of a wide range of secondary skills, ranking below

literacy

and sitting alongside sports, hobbies, foreign languages and other important but less essential activities. Of course, those who say that highly talented

children

must be allowed to develop their talents are quite correct; it is equally true, though, that few

children

seem to possess

the

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musical ability to the extent that it should be prioritised so highly for all pupils. In conclusion, I would not wish to underestimate the potential benefits of learning to play

music

for a minority of

children

, and it should certainly be available as an option.

However

, if we think of all

children

in a given community,

literacy

appears to be a far stronger pathway to progress and independence.