Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Where do I even begin? Being an artist and also one who wants to become an art teacher, I have constantly had a struggle with the education system and the creativity involved in it. Ken Robinson makes so many excellent points that many do not speak of or think of as important FACTS. Yes facts. It has always infuriated me that the arts are always the bottom of the barrel in schools. Mathematics and Language will always be first. I think they are first because they are necessary in order to communicate with others and to maintain your lifestyle (money, bills, the economy). Its sad but I feel as though money will always rule the world. People are taught that money is the most important part of their life. It buys you your home, your health, and essentially sometimes happiness (some believe). Creativity is so important to our society and I think a lot of people do not agree. They do not think about it because the importance in money. But if you think about money it has a type of aesthetic design to some. It has color, shape, and some sort of texture due to the material it is made out of. Someone had to create it.
Our economy is in a sad state. Maybe students aren't being encouraged to be creative because of funding. Maybe it is more important in today's time to think less creatively and think more "what will give me the best job and pay me the best money" because of our suffering country. I would love to say that the state of our economy has nothing to do with creativity in schools but there is an opportunity for it to be a part of anything. States fund certain programs and certain subjects seem to always be more important than others. The day that art comes before math will be the day my decayed body comes back to life. It is a sad truth but it is just that; the truth, a reality.
Another important idea he brings up is in the next thirty years the most amount of people will be graduating from college and getting degrees. I find that really interesting because years ago anyone could get a job, some better than others of course but still a job. Now you need degrees in order to have certain jobs. You could not become an educator without one. In the years to come it seems as though degrees may not mean anything. If more people are graduating, going to school, and receving them, then what makes one person better than the other? I would have to agree with this statement entirely. I never thought about it until ken Robinson brought it to my attention that I am going to school to get an education and a degree so I could get a job but in years to come, what will it matter?
Rethinking the future seems like such a great idea to me. In five years, technology will be different. Of course it will; there is something new coming out everyday. But do you think about the fact that that will be integrated into our classrooms? Into our classrooms that seem to demolish creativity? Why is creativity taught to be completely embraced when a child is younger but almost "shooed" away once they reach middle school and even junior high. I agree that schools do help to destroy the creative streak in children. Especially being an artist I see the children I babysit becoming less creative in the years I have watched them. They ask more questions regarding what they should do rather than just expressing what they feel/think. Maybe because I am an artist I feel I haven't let the school system fail me in that way. I always challenged it by creating what I felt/ how I thought. Many a time it was not what the teacher was looking for. That will always be an issue though. Students seem to lose their creativity due to doing the assignments they are asked to the likings of their superiors. The teachers give the grades majority of the time; not the students. Why should a student be creative if there are specific guidelines that give them no space to have their own ideas. If there is a set answer for something than they give the "correct" answer that the teacher is looking for. I like when students challenge their teachers. I was taught that the teacher should learn from the student as well as the student learning from the teacher. I have to agree with Robinson yet again when he says that the school system destroys creativity. We as educators need to embrace it. Instill that creativity should never be let go or forgotten. I think it is too important to be just another mindless student that is taught what is going to be on the SAT's. Why not come up with my own ideas to have myself better understand a lesson? This world is a funny place. We seem to want to better it but the human race is always changing its mind on how to do just that.
Everyone is interested in education. This statement is so true because your life could be based on how far along you have gone in the education system. it is a sad reality that the more education you go through; usually the better off you are. Many may not be able to afford it but education is something that everyone could have access to, just in different ways.
*Everyone is interested in education.