abacab
Another thing to consider is that if they plan to record their instruments, if they are acoustic it will require good mics and a good audio interface with mic preamps.  Electronic keyboards could go straight MIDI into the software using virtual instruments.
 
So even with free software, there could be other costs involved to get started in recording.

that's a good point man.
Cant tell you how many people I've met that think they can just by the software and make music.
"I will just plug my guitar in to that little 1/8 inch jack on my PC".
Relying on your PC's soundcard to produce nothing but subpar/low quality results is standard.
 
What has always baffled me is when someone spends good money on software but fails to buy the most important part. The soundcard. With no pre amps, your never going to get anything more than an amateur recording.
 

noynekker
 
Now this made me laugh, a bit of nostalgia, perhaps a tear in the corner of my eye, because that's where I started to learn recording, I was a lot older than 12 . . . but I'm thinking the audio kids of today will never have to live with the limitations of the archaic cassette world, they will never have to compete with the dreaded signal to noise ratio, the demagnetizer . . . 

Its not about them having to live with the limitations of the archaic cassette world, its about them learning and truly understanding the basics of audio recording and the signal flow involved which every DAW tries to emulate. Otherwise you risk ending up with kids that will be able to get results from a DAW but will always struggle to understand things like what busses are used for or why you use an aux send for some things and inserts for others.
 
I guess I just see value in learning the basics first and I think its easier to do that with physical hardware. It doesn't necessarily have to be a cassette 4-track, a digital 4 or 8 track with its own mixer could do the job just as well if you hate tape. Although I also think there's something to be said for having experience with recording on tape but that's me.

It depends on whether the goal is to teach music composition or audio engineering.
 
Finale or Sibelius are great for composition.
 
If the goal is to learn how to record a band or electronic instruments or live performances, it is a different question.