Musical education

What happened in our country to music and art? How is it that in the wealthiest country in the world we cannot afford to include music and art education? Our schools continue suffering massive budget cuts and the first expenses to be trimmed are arts and music. After all, it is reasoned, we don't require knowledge of music to earn a living. And while I am at it, how is it that as a nation we're OK paying for 12 years of public education but add on another four and funding is off-limits? Who drew that line? 100 years ago we were an agrarian society moving into the age of cities and factory jobs. 12 years of education was more than sufficient. One didn't require a college education to drive a tractor or sit on an assembly line. The society of 2020 is a far cry from that of 1920. Perhaps it's worth considering that as we move deeper into our technologically demanding society, art and music become increasingly important as a means of maintaining our humanity. As a country, we need 16 years of public education just to stay up with the rest of the world, but in the affording of that, we shouldn't exclude the arts. Music and art feed our humanity.