On Creativity & Education
14 Jul
21st Century Western Culture is obsessed with education, and for great reason. Young minds need to be trained, the genius of the older generations must be passed down, and the torch must burn brighter than ever before. I cannot imagine anyone in any society, in any social setting disagreeing with passing down knowledge from one generation to the next. But ask people how to accomplish that feat, and the debate is on. Even amongst education administrators there is a large debate as how to educate our young.
Ken Robinson, in the following video provides a fresh (and often comical) look at education, creativity, and a passion for life. Check it out.
I have a younger brother who is one of the most athletic and creative people I know. It is actually quite irritating how quickly he can master musicianship and endeavors of athleticism. So what seems logical is to allow him to exploit his strengths, gain power, finesse and experience. But our society requires these dreams to be extracurricular. Why is it that we require our young ones to learn chemistry (which many of them will never use), calculate complex formulas (that are soon forgotten by 95% of individuals), and then wonder why we are failing to educate this upcoming generation?
Contradictions abound in the realm of education. We explain that everyone is unique, that everyone has their own strengths. And yet we require everyone to participate in the same classes, learn the same things, and become the same as everyone around them.
What if, instead of bringing our children up to take all of the most advanced classes in the maths, sciences, and language, we allowed them to gain a basic understanding and then begin to exploit the gifts that are natural within them. Give the students a foundation, instill within them a desire, but allow their natural gifting to drive them to excellence. Our children are talented. Let’s train them to embrace their talents, not destroy them before they even get to explore them.
