What we think...
I loved this clip from the TED series which features Sir Ken Robinson giving a highly entertaining yet profoundly moving talk on creativity, and the effect on creativity that our education system has.
Sir Ken is a born entertainer and storyteller. Yet within his stand-up-comedian-style-act is a serious message about the need to allow people the freedom to act and behave naturally – out of the box – if they are to fulfill their true potential. He cites the example of dancer and choreographer Gillian Lynne, whose parents thought she had some disorder because she fidgeted a lot and couldn’t concentrate at school. Luckily for Gillian, a piece of simple advice by an insightful specialist – to allow her move and dance by sending her to dance school – was her salvation. She has since gone on to make millions, and some of the most successful shows on the planet can be attributed in part to her talent.
Sir Ken’s beef is that stereotypical education leads us to lose our natural creativity. We are born with it, but ‘educated out of it’ as we are led through a rigorous programme of conventional subjects such as maths and science in order to make us ’successful’ later in life. For many, natural abilities are stifled as they conform to the educational norm.
Not surprising then that some people lose their way, their confidence and their dreams, fitting in with what their teachers and parents feel is the safe and sensible bet. There must be thousands of people in this world that, given half a chance, could channel their natural skills and talent in a way which would add massive value to business, the arts, media, politics etc etc etc (personally I can think of at least one person whose extraordinary creative, artistic flair has been suppressed by a life-long career in accountancy because she just happened to be good with numbers. Now saddled with a house, a mortgage and approaching middle-age, accountancy seems to be the safe place to stay, yet you wonder what might have been…).
As an aside, I have been inspired by the International Baccalaureate qualification where a far more varied curriculum (including recognition for voluntary work, theory of knowledge, art, a modern language, science, maths etc) allows pupils to explore their natural aptitude further before settling on a particular field. More and more universities are accepting the IB qualification which opens a gateway to international study, and indeed many are champions of it. This is to be celebrated.
Watch this clip. It has inspired me and I hope it does you.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html