I know that varies by region, but schoolchildren are generally taught cursive as a faster way to write. It already requires some memorisation with some glyphs being different from block letters. Why not make an additional step and completely replace it with shorthand, making writing an order of magnitude faster?
I think learning to read is just one benefit. As others mentioned, hand eye coordination is another big factor. I’m not opposed to not teaching it, just listing some benefits of doing so.