Ian G Brown.com

I have thought for some time that many children dislike school because the subject matter is not always presented in an engaging way. I have also thought that formal education in schools is to narrow.

To me that can be summed up as schools lacking creativity. And maybe too much of teachers aiming at the middle student, not all students. Maybe not effectively addressing the fact that all students are different and have different skills. Not all children “get” mathematics. And maybe some classes lack relevance these days.

To many children, school is not fun. Fun makes it interesting. Many children “tune out” in lessons because they think the subject, or indeed the presentation, is “boring”. We need to address this.

For some, research, writing, drama, dance and art are work. They are not. They are learning. They are nurturing and development of inner creativity.

I think that creativity is lacking in schools, however, there needs to be a balance. Creativity alone will not suffice. It is very important, but without “traditional” basic numeracy and literacy skills, creativity training and encouragement is worth little. Creativity deserves a place in the curriculum alongside the numeracy and literacy focus that exists today.

However schools do not stand alone in this. Parents and carers have a responsibility too. Schools tell children what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, but outside of schools, children have freedom to pursue their own interests. Parents play a big role in encouraging or discouraging their children’s creativity. They need to encourage these interests and creativity too. It’s the responsibility of both schools and parents to encourage creativity in the next generation of adults.

Some examples of issues I have noticed are labeling children who love to study/learn as nerds, schools giving students mere “gathering of facts” type of assignments that do not encourage them to think creatively and schools making subjects boring and tedious thus stamping out the love for self-research and learning.

I have seen cases where children used to draw, write creatively, make things, etc. Then, for example, their schooling led them into disliking writing because English class had made it into a chore. Many children do not read at school because it is considered nerdy.

This video presents an extremely important case for totally reforming the way we educate our kids. Watch it!

Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining case for creating a formal education system that nurtures (rather than stifles) creativity.

This struck a cord with me.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. And if you liked it, please share it with your followers.

To Your Growing Creativity

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