Schools Kill Creativity

Now, those are not exactly my words.  They are the quoted words of Sir Ken Robinson.

I have to say that I have been a supporter of that view for many years.  I believe there are studies out there which conclude that children lose half their creativity by the first grade.  

For years, I have railed against the education system in Singapore, and then schooling in general.  When I was growing up, I had always felt that something was very wrong with the education system.  There was no other option than getting a "good education", which really equates to getting excellent grades from a top school.  (The old lie of "get good grades, go to a good school, get a good degree, work a good job, and you'll be set for life".)  There was no learning, everything was rote memorisation followed by regurgitation on tests and examinations.  Fear and shame is a tremendous part of Chinese culture, and in retrospect, it was drilled into me by the start of 4th grade that failing academically was not an option.  For crying out loud, I began having an after-school tutor by 4th grade for my second language (!!), and another one by 8th grade for Math and Science.

I wonder where I might be now if I had not been so afraid to fail for most of my life.  I wonder what I might have achieved by now.  Growing up, there was no other option but the academic route.  I do not know if that would have been something I would have chosen to pursue naturally anyway, but there was never an option o explore otherwise to begin with.

Folks, I agree that structure is necessary in the raising of children, but let us not be so rigid in trying to conform to societal expectations at the expense of propelling our children in the direction of their talents and creativity.  They will achieve so much more in the areas of their strengths than than their weaknesses.  A rising tide raises all ships  -- excelling people lead to a a society of excellence and a better quality of life.