“The roots of a creative society are in basic education. The sheer volume of facts to be digested by the students of today leaves little time for a deeper interrogation of their moral worth. The result has been a generation of technicians rather than visionaries, each one taking a career rather than an idea seriously. The answer must be reform in our educational methods so that students are encouraged to ask about “know-why” as well as “know-how”. Once the arts are restored to a more central role in educational institutions, there could be a tremendous unleashing of creative energy in other disciplines too.”
Source: On Arts: Creative New Zealand. Michael D. Higgins, the former Irish Minister for Arts, Culture and Gaeltacht
“All our futures: Creativity, culture and education”, the UK National Advisory Committees report [DfEE, 1999] defines creativity as:
“First, they [the characteristics of creativity] always involve thinking or behaving imaginatively. Second, overall this imaginative activity is purposeful: that is, it is directed to achieving an objective. Third, these processes must generate something original. Fourth, the outcome must be of value in relation to the objective.”
The following quote, from one of the teachers involved in the project, adds to the UK definition.
“Although most people might look for signs of creativity in the appearance of the bulletin boards, student made projects, centres and displays in the classroom, I feel the truly creative classroom goes way beyond what can be seen with the eyes. It is a place where bodies and minds actively pursue new knowledge. Having a creative classroom means that the teacher takes risks on a daily basis and encourages his/her students to do the same.”
Source: Pann Baltz quoted in Creativity in the Classroom: An exploration.
Why should we bother?
• Our school system is a thinly disguised conspiracy to quash creativity.
• We are at an inflection point. We seem to be re-inventing everything – except the school system, which should [in theory] underpin, even leads, the rest.
• The main crisis in schools today is irrelevance.
• Our educational thinking is concerned with; ‘what is’. It is not good at designing ‘what can be’.
The above from Tom Peter’s book Re-imagine. Peter’s is very critical of our present ways of educating and although focused on American education his comments could relate to most education systems across the world.
Peter’s vision:
- a school system that recognizes that learning is natural, that a love of learning is normal, and that real learning is passionate learning - a school curriculum that values questions above answers, creativity above fact regurgitation, individuality above uniformity and excellence above standardized performance - a society that respects its teachers and principals, pays them well, and grants them the autonomy to do their job as the creative individuals they are, and for the creative individuals in their charge.
Is this a vision that you could buy into?
Robert Fritz comments that “The most important developments in civilization have come through the creative process, but ironically, most people have not been taught to be creative.”
Source: Robert Fritz, The Path of Least Resistance, 1994.
Is it important to our futures that creativity be taught?
What place should creativity have in our education systems?
Should we teach creatively or teach for creativity?
“By providing rich and varied contexts for pupils to acquire, develop and apply a broad range of knowledge, understanding and skills, the curriculum should enable pupils to think creatively and critically, to solve problems and to make a difference for the better. It should give them the opportunity to become creative, innovative, enterprising, and capable of leadership to equip them for their future lives as workers and citizens. It should enable pupils to respond positively to opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities, to manage risk and cope with change and adversity.”
Source: UK National Curriculum Handbook [p 11-12]:
Creative students lead richer lives and, in the longer term, make a valuable contribution to society. Surely those are reasons enough to bother.
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