The goal of schools is not to prepare you for capitalism. Luckily, they’re one of the few institutions that are still concerned with human values beyond money.

You could argue it would be valuable, from a practical sense, to additionally offer classes on personal finance, sure, but it’s abhorrent to use music lessons as a mocking point or suggest that somehow the school should teach finance instead of all other subject matters.

What’s wrong with teaching music in school? I never got on with it, but some of my classmates genuinely loved it. And now that we’re adults they aren’t professional musicians by any stretch of the imagination, but they still enjoy playing just for the fun of it or as a hobby.

Few people I know do financial literacy as a hobby, no judgement though if that’s what helps you unwind after a day at the office.

The recorder is not what was stopping them from teaching your finance.

Yeah let’s teach 4th graders that read at a 2nd grade level and struggle with multiplication economics, this seems rationale

“Financial literacy” is victim blaming. Our economic system doesn’t need to be this complicated. You’re forced to invest or else your savings are destroyed by inflation. But these investments all involve trusting various institutions, and you have no way of knowing which ones are safe. Oh and don’t put it all in one place; you need to find multiple solutions. By the time you’re old or disabled, it’s your fault you’re in this mess.

Our economy is essentially forcing the public at gunpoint to make a prediction about topics they know nothing about. It’s a design not for the humans who exist, but for perfectly informed spheres.

Now they don’t do either.

I learned this in like the third grade. I don’t think a third grader can be taught financial literacy.

But the fact that I didn’t learn anything about loans or credit scores in high school is bad, yes.

Why not both?

Shit, that’s even a Yamaha. They make a pretty decent entry level recorder.

Just an observation from a mathematician: I’ve never heard this comment from someone who was competent in high school maths. Whenever I mention that I’m a mathematician and someone responds how they “never got on” with maths, usually the next thing to leave their mouth is some gripe about financial literacy.

So you’ve tried art, and discovered it’s not for you. That’s still better than not having tried art at all in first place. You at least know where you stand in regards to that question now. …Or at least I hope so.

I never learned an instrument (schools don’t teach that here unless its of your own volition) and its not that I’m financially illiterate, I just don’t trust anyone with my money. So, I guess knowing how to play a flute or some bullshit like that would be net positive.

Guess I’ll keep on whistling while my money slowly becomes worthless.

To be fair though if someone can’t count up to four then financial literacy probably isn’t in their future.

As many comments pointed out already, in the USA we usually learn to play the recorder in 3rd grade. It’s not exactly an age where it makes any sense to try and learn how home mortgages work.

Though, I very much recall having some basic “personal finance” education in elementary school. It’s the age where you are learning about currency denominations. How many quarters, dimes, etc. to make a dollar.

When I was in high school we were all required to take an “Economics” class where they did try to cover balancing a checkbook and basics like that. I just don’t think most kids paid much attention. I know I didn’t.

I mostly pretended to play and copied the finger movements of the kid next to me.