Do schools kill creativity?

Posted: September 2nd, 2008 | Author: Nattu | Filed under: creativity | Tags: creativity | 4 Comments »

Back at school I was really tired of everyone asking about who we want to be in life. In reply we heard, a pilot, a teacher, a nurse and so on.  And that’s what we wanted? Or that’s what our parents wanted. We aim for something. And we work so hard to get it, or be the one. Till the last minute. What if we fail? Does that mean it’s the end of the life? Or should we need to start for square one for something else? Or we need to aim as many as we can. And at the end of life we will have lot of choices. That’s a lot of reasons not to walk with an empty hand at the end. That was my aim. That’s what I wanted to be.
Do schools kill creativity? I hate to say yes. But they do. It may be the system we all are living on. Why is Math more important than drawing? As Sir Ken Robinson points out, every educational system on the planet was designed to meet the needs of 19th century industrialization. Subjects that are useful at work are at the top of the hierarchy. This is why our government is establishing more science schools and spends more money on science and engineering than on the arts.

Below is a presentation by Sir Robinson on education and creativity.

Remarks of Bill Gates on Harvard Commencement

I’ve been waiting more than 30 years to say this: “Dad, I always told you I’d come back and get my degree.”

“For my part, I’m just happy that the Crimson has called me “Harvard’s most successful dropout.” I guess that makes me valedictorian of my own special class … I did the best of everyone who failed. ”

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