Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

January 21st, 2014

This video shows Sir Ken Robinson's inspirational TED Talk from 2006. In this video, Robinson discusses the structure of the educational system today and argues that in order for the next generation of children to thrive, inevitably some changes need to be made.

Why not the Arts?
Robinson makes an interesting point when he says that as educators, we are setting children up for an unknown future. I found this to be a particularly interesting idea. We are using education as a tool for a future that we have no concept about. How can we be sure we are steering these children in the right direction if we have no idea where the direction is leading? The future is certainly unpredictable. One part of Robinson's presentation that resonated with me was when he said that children have extraordinary capacities for innovation, and they all have talents that we squander quite ruthlessly. This statement struck a cord with me because although I am not oblivious to the fact that the opportunities for creativity in the classroom could and should be increased, I hadn't thought of it as squandering a child's talent until viewing this video. Obviously, a major way for a child to embrace their talents is through creative opportunities. Robinson states that creativity is equally as important in education as literacy and therefore we should treat it with the same status. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Another part of Robinson's presentation that I found strange was the fact that he said the education hierarchy all over the world is the same--mathematics and language on top, and the arts on the bottom. Although I knew this was the case in Canada, I hadn't given much thought to how the education system is structured in other parts of the world. I find it interesting, and quite sad really, that other countries' educational systems are not much better.

What is Wrong, Really?
One part of Robinson's presentation that really hit the nail on the head, so to speak, is when he spoke about making mistakes and being wrong. As Robinson said, the great thing about children is that they are not afraid of being wrong. Unfortunately, in the education system, being wrong and making a mistake is looked down upon and is essentially the worst thing you can do. What this does to children is instills fear in them, making them believe that it is better not to make a guess or think abstractly for fear of being wrong. This, to me, is a complete shame. As Robinson stated, "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." Unfortunately, what is happening is that we are essentially educating children out of their creativity. Another thing I found interesting was the story about a young girl who couldn't sit still and was told she had something wrong with her, perhaps ADHD, but in reality she was the type of person who did her best thinking when she was dancing. This girl turned out to be very successful because fortunately someone discovered her talent and allowed her to embrace it, while someone else may have "given her medicine and told her to calm down." This is absolutely eye-opening for me, as I now wonder how many children out there are misdiagnosed or misunderstood for the same reason this little girl was, when really the only thing they need is to be able to embrace their talent rather than have it squandered.

Why Teach It?
I believe this is an important video for us, as future educators to see. Robinson makes a lot of valid points concerning creativity and the educational system. It is important for us to begin to question ways we can incorporate creativity into our classroom through mathematics, as well as other subject areas. We have to find ways to cherish our childrens' talents, embrace them, and build on them. As educators, we may not be able to change the educational hierarchy, but we can make a difference. 

"All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up. I believe this passionately that we don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it...or rather we get educated out of it...Our task is to educate their whole being so they can face this future. By the way, we may not see this future, but they will. And our job is to help them make something of it." -Ken Robinson