PISA Results Can Be Improved by Adding More Music and Arts in Children’s Everyday Lives

The provision of music and other arts subjects should be increased in early childhood education and basic education. These subjects are not merely supplementary activities within education; rather, they play an important role in supporting children’s holistic development, learning, and well-being.

Research has shown that playing an instrument, singing, and engaging in rhythmic activities develop skills that are fundamental to learning across domains, including memory, listening, and self-regulation. Studies have found that musical training is particularly associated with executive functions including attention, impulse control, and working memory. Research also indicates that engagement with music supports language development, enhances attentional skills, and contributes to emotional regulation.

The significance of arts education, however, extends beyond cognitive development. Music and other art forms provide children with opportunities to express emotions, engage their imagination, and experience a sense of achievement. The arts can also offer children alternative means of self-expression when thoughts or emotions are difficult to articulate verbally. Participation in collaborative artistic activities—such as choirs, ensembles, theatre, or collective arts projects—provides opportunities to learn to listen to others, collaborate, and take responsibility for a shared outcome. Such experiences strengthen a sense of belonging and can help prevent loneliness.

Providing more opportunities for children to engage with the arts is particularly important in the early years, as childhood lays the foundation for later learning and for developing interpersonal skills. Early childhood and primary/lower secondary education provides equitable opportunities for children to develop their cognitive capacities, encounter different forms of art, and discover meaningful artistic interests that may later be pursued in greater depth through institutions providing Basic Education in the Arts. A child’s opportunity to participate in artistic activities should not depend on the financial circumstances of their family.

Recognising the value of high-quality arts education does not mean diminishing the importance of other areas of learning. On the contrary, the arts should be understood as an integral component of a high-quality and well-rounded education. Mathematics, languages, and natural sciences—the domains assessed in PISA—develop important competencies, but so do creativity, self-expression, collaboration, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills. Future societies will require people who are able not only to solve problems, but also to think creatively, collaborate effectively, and understand diverse perspectives. Musical and artistic approaches can also serve as effective pedagogical methods in the teaching of other subjects.

The provision of music and other arts subjects should therefore be increased, while ensuring high-quality teacher education in both early childhood education and basic education. Estonia provides one example: every kindergarten has a trained early childhood music educator, and the Estonian language is fostered and learned through singing.

The objective of music and arts education does not need to be the development of professional artists. Rather, every child should have the opportunity to grow into a creative and self-confident individual. Arts education does not detract from learning; it constitutes one of the most effective means of supporting both learning and well-being.

Minna Huotilainen, Professor of Education, Brain Researcher,  University of Helsinki
Paula Turkkila, Head of Music Department, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences
Olli-Pekka Martikainen, Managing Director, Association of Finnish Music Schools
Sirpa Lahti, Principal, Käpylä Music School

This is a translated version of the original publication from the Association of Finnish Music Schools on September 10, 2026. View the Finnish-language text here.