Is Education killing Creativity?

The involvement of Creativity in education has been researched and written about increasingly, particularly over the past twenty years, with more and more emphasis placed upon its importance in both the academic and personal development of children. Today, the vast majority of educators and policy makers surrounding education agree it has a crucial presence within our education system. So, how is Creativity still not fully included within the system? Do schools kill Creativity?

In a 2006 talk given by Sir Ken Robinson, an internationally renowned advisor on education, he explains how education and the world around us focus on the stigma of being wrong. Children on the other hand, are not afraid of being wrong, in Robinson's words “they’ll have a go”. He explains how by the time they become adults; they have lost this and have developed a fear of being wrong. They are “educated out of it”. Our society focuses on the mistakes of others but if you are not prepared to make mistakes, to be wrong, how will you develop any new ideas?

In school, children are steered away from certain subjects on the misguided advice that upon choosing to do subjects such as Art or Music; they will never get a job in these fields. (Robinson, 2006) I, myself, can be included as a child who was told this and, therefore, I focused on what were classed as more academic, useful subjects, such as languages. Unfortunately, I followed this advice. My sister, on the other hand, did not. Whilst attending the same secondary school as myself, she was given the same guidance on matters. She has now graduated, in full time employment, at the age of 23, in her home-town. She is a professional Graphic Designer. A profession classed under the misinterpreted version of creative, with the incorrect notion that you will have very little chance of progressing onto employment. Although, in the unlikelihood that you are successful in finding said job, you have to be prepared to pack up your life and move away.

“Our education system has mined our minds, in the way that we've strip mined the earth...for a particular commodity. And for the future, it won’t service”.

By this, Robinson means that our education system has been educating us for the benefit of society, as a whole, not for our individual identities. Our children are our future. We need to rethink the system to accommodate their needs, not the just needs of society.
 Primary schools, throughout England and Wales, are slowly beginning to evolve with the introduction of schemes such as the Foundation Phase/Stage and Forest schools, but this is not enough. Promoting creativity and all that it encompasses whilst children are of the most crucial ages of development is vital. However, the Foundation Phase is only for children between the ages of 3-7yrs, all their good work is seemingly quashed as children migrate through to key stage three and beyond. 

Below is the 2006 video of Sir Ken Robinson’s speech ‘How schools kill creativity’.

Are you creative?

To kick start this blog, let’s think of the term 'creativity'. What does it mean? When asked "Are you a creative person?” the majority of people who will answer "no". This is because Creativity is perceived by way of the Arts e.g. painting, drawing, dance, etc. If you do not believe yourself to be adept in an activity dubbed as creative, then you do not feel as though you are a creative person..."No, I can't draw for toffee" "I've never held a paintbrush in my life." Sound familiar? If not yourself, then you will all know someone who would respond in this way.

This is where the confusion surrounding creativity lies. Yes, skills such as drawing and painting are creative traits, however, creativity stems much further than possessing these abilities.

Every human being is creative. We all have gifts and talents that are unique to us as individuals, although in our society, we are taught that you have to be exceptionally brilliant and you must shine above all others to be classed as having a talent or a gift.

To illustrate this point, think of these old sayings: 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder' or 'Each to their own.' Being that we are all individuals; we all see things differently, to which we have different tastes and preferences. We all work in different ways and it is this fact that helps creativity flourish. If a group of people are given a problem to solve, there will be many answers, all differing from each other. A small example would be: a group of people are stuck on a dessert island and need to build a raft to get off it. One person may be better at the construction of the raft; however another may be better at figuring out which materials would be best. Another person may realise that the raft is an inadequate size to accommodate everyone, whereas one person may suggest a shelter be built upon the raft, to guard them from the hot sun and offer a way to resolve that and another may go about gathering food/water for the journey.

According to Sir Ken Robinson "Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value". (2010)

(See video below)

When building a raft, the construction and planning aspect may involve 2 or more people and may seem like the only creativity involved. However, the person who suggests the size ought to be altered has just made a crucial point that would save lives and a lot of time. The person who has gone to collect supplies and the person who suggests a shelter has set out to prolong their lives and comfort whilst aboard the raft.

All these ideas have value. As an individual, your ideas may seem linear, but as a collective group, there is only lateral thinking. Therefore we are all creative. We all have something to offer. Just because some of our ideas are not ground breaking or life changing, it does not mean that they are not creative. It could be as simple as cooking, following a straightforward recipe, but adding or taking something away depending on your preferences, thus changing the taste of the food to satisfy your own tastes or those of your family.

We need to embrace creativity and stop perceiving it as a singular, linear concept. It encompasses all that we are as human beings and needs to be nurtured.