A common belief that seems to be held in many views of education is that “schools kill creativity.” In Sir Ken Robinson’s piece “Changing Education Paradigms” he suggests that the system of education present today is focused on a specific type of intelligence only. He states that the education system present in today’s society sees academic ability as having the “capacity for a certain type of deductive reasoning.” This he says is deep in the gene pool of education. Robinson seems to believe that education is the way it is simply because it is the way it has always been; it is in the “genes” of education. Robinson says that education presents one way of learning and that there is one answer. Teachers do not wish for education to be this way, but it just happens says Robinson; it is the way education has always been, and it needs reform. In conclusion Robinson believes that education is based on a society of the past, it ruins creative thinking and it needs to be changed.
I must start by saying that some points Ken Robinson makes are undeniable. Education caters to a certain type of thinker, and a certain type of talent. The children who get the awards and acknowledgment are the ones who remain focused, and are in sync with the way of learning present in today’s society. This is a fact, I have lived this. I have sat in a classroom while the teacher has made fun of my work. I have sat in award assemblies watching the same three kids walk up to the stage receiving award after award. I am not the only one. Kids who follow directions and do what their told, and do it well are the kids with the high-school gold medal. This is solid evidence that cannot be argued.
Robinson suggests that the way school is now is very much based on the past. He mentions a theory of “the gene pool of education,” basically that education is the way it is because this is the way it has been since the 18th and 19th century. I disagree. To me, education seems to be very much focused on the present. Education sculpts children who are capable of doing the jobs that society needs to maintain itself. More specifically, I believe that education is not to blame for creativity being lost rather the society and culture of the world today is at fault.
Robinson would suggest that education needs reform now, but I disagree. Before education is reformed, our society as a whole must change. Robinson speaks about how the arts are being lost in education. He argues that the arts are just as important as science or math. I agree with this. Some of the most talented people that exist have no interest in biology or calculus. However, society has interest in people who do have interests less involved with the arts. Society needs the reform that Robinson is suggesting that schools need, before those schools get the reform. Education now is focused on teaching kids the necessary things needed to succeed in the real world. Unfortunately the real world does not cater well to a large population of artists. The way the world is now, artists must be the best in their field; they must be brilliant to succeed in art. A passion for art does not get someone very far. This is because Society is still focused on “The American Dream.” The majority of people want a big house, a white picket fence and a dog. To get there, they must learn what is held important in society, what will get you good, high paying jobs; this often having to do with math and science. My aunt had a degree in graphic design. She had a high-paying job for a while, but it became too much to handle with having kids, and needing time to do other things. After years she found another job that paid next to nothing as a graphic designer. She was great and what she did, but it did not support her. She is now back at college earning a different degree.
Robinson might argue that we do not know what the economy will look like in five to ten years. While Robinson is correct about that, one could bet that society won’t have a drastic need for artists. This is because society is not changing. The same things that were important fifty years ago are still important now. The most important thing to us is getting a job and providing for a family. I am not saying I agree with this view, only that this view is the common one. If artists commonly succeeded in the real world, and made a good living, chances are schools would focus a great deal more on these programs.
ADHD, is also brought up in Robinson’s “Changing Education Paradigms.” He elaborates on how kids are taking dangerous medications to get them through education. “We are getting our children through education by anaesthetizing them,” he says. This means that instead of “waking them up,” we our putting our children “to sleep.” “We are deadening them to what’s going on.” Basically he is suggesting that children, who take medication for ADHD, are doing it to get through school. This is false. The reason many children are taking medication is to be focused just like any other peer in their classroom, they want the same fair chance that any other person without an attention disorder has. Why is it important to be focused? This again leads back to the demands of society. They don’t want to be focused just to get through school; they want the benefits of getting through school successfully. If a child wants to grow up and live somewhere other than the street or a small apartment, society teaches them they better do well in school, and they better go on to college. Education is simply a reflection of society. Change society and you will not have to work to reform education, it will change on its own. Society puts pressure on children, not education.
In a different piece by Ken Robinson he talks about the story of Gillian Lynne. Lynne had an attention problem in school. When her mother took her to the doctor, the doctor told Lynne that he had to speak with her mother alone. When they left the room they turned the music on and watched Lynne. She began to dance, and the doctor simply said, Gillian is a dancer, put her in dance school. She went on the choreograph plays such as Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. Robinson tells us this story to prove the point that medication for someone who has ADHD is the wrong answer. Although this is an inspiring story, I do not believe it proves Robinson’s point. Not every child with an attention disorder will go on to be as successful and lucky as Gillian Lynne was. Taking the medication away from kids with ADHD is not the answer. That will just leave children unfocused and determined to be something that they might not have a chance of being. This is not a pleasant thought, but unfortunately the truth of today’s society. For example, out of the thousands of trained ballerinas who aspire to join the New York City ballet only about 10 a year make it into the company. Robinson would argue that this does not give education the right to steer creative children away from following their dreams. I agree with this. I wish that every child who aspired to be a ballerina could be, but again in today’s society the chances are slim. Society today is too money-driven to focus enough attention to the arts to create more job opportunities in that field. Only once society stops and appreciates the value of art, will creative children get what they deserve, in life and in education. Until then medication for ADHD at least gives children a fair chance at being successful in other fields.
Education does need reform as Sir Ken Robinson suggests. However, reforming society must happen first. Reforming education at this point in time would be unproductive. In today’s society the education process present, is needed. What needs to happen currently is the change in society. The importance of the arts in today’s society is waning. People need to appreciate the value of art in everyday life. Once this happens, schools will naturally adjust. Education is simply the process needed to be successful in the world. When the world changes what it wants, education will change what it teaches, and what it puts emphasis on. Not understanding this fact will lead to wasting time reforming education. Reforming education at this point in time would probably lead to unemployment and children handicapped to achieve success. If chances are made to reform society, education will also reform. Education is the shadow of society, so changes in society will help to put creativity on the list of important things, and education will also put creativity on the list of important things. Therefore, I conclude, that education is not a product of the past, it is a product of the here and now, and the sooner we change society, the sooner we will change education and enable the world to flood with creativity and success.
