Creativity and Public education

‘Whatever creativity is, it is in part a solution to a problem.’ This is a quote from Brian Wilson Aldiss, who is an English author. As he said above, creativity is evaluated as the most important human resource recently. Now, it is the age of creativity. Steve job’s creativity makes ‘iPhone wave’ and creative designs affects to all people leading the trends. Always creativity makes new paradigm, and this new paradigm brings fresh air and development to the society.

                 And Ken Robison says, school, public education is killing this valuable creativity. According to him, the first reason why the education system takes away the creativity is that schools stigmatize mistakes as the worst thing people can make. It is obvious that ‘creativity’ can’t exist without mistakes like an example that Post-it was invented by one scientist’s mistake that he failed to invent a super glue, but invented glue which come off easily. However, recent education teaches us that we lose in competitions if we make even tiny mistakes though new and creative ideas can be gained from many tries and mistakes, so children who can’t dare make a mistake follow a way which was already decided by adults. Therefore, schools should give students an idea that they can consider mistakes as an experience for the next success, not as a stupid thing.    

                 The second reason is that school educates children by batches. He compared school to the factory lines that after bell rang, students study separated subjects in separated facilities, and students are products not much different from others which factory machines manufacture. This compare shows reality of education. Schools offer same education which raises academic ability than artistic or other abilities to students who have diverse talents for each, and labels them as useless if they don’t have this academic ability. Like his saying ; At the top are mathematics and languages, then the humanities, and the bottom are the arts, schools treat academic ability as the first priority and block so many potential that children can develop and show their creativities in various field before they bloom.

                 Also he emphasizes that all of the problems above are caused by ‘public education’, however it is not all true in my opinion. The original purpose of existing public education is to offer fundamental knowledge and teach social behavior pattern to all people, but what cloud this essence is society that encourages students and parents to consider academic ability and entering prestigious universities as the best values. And with the stream that recent society made, private education increases, and it also becomes restriction to students. As we watch Korean students, they go a lot of academies after school and learn something not knowing why they have to do, and what they study for. And, they just move to go to another academy. Public education and schools force them to do? No. It is all because of parents who make their children study, for fear of their children’s failure and because of society that treat only academic person. The problem is society and people who go along the stream, not public education itself.  

                 In addition, Robinson insists the solution is only a revolution in education. That is, the solution is customizing to the circumstances, and personalizing education to the people because human talent is tremendously diverse, according to him. But I want to say that his solution is virtually impossible. His idea is too ideal thing to realize. Because first of all, there are not many resources and people who can help realizing that ideal revolution. Secondly, to get personalizing education, students have to find their talents and abilities early, but it is not possible that every student can find it until when they get education. They find out and decide their career learning many things from school.  

                  In conclusion, creativity is the most important thing which is needed in recent society, and it is true that schools stifle creativity in a way. But what we have to know exactly is that, it is not completely school’s fault, but society is responsible for creating atmosphere that centers on academic ability, too. As we consider the original purpose, public education is necessary and it has also lots of good points so far. Therefore, we need another feasible solution that each student can enhance their own creativity, accepting good points of public education. That is, on the base named ‘public education’, we have to erect each tower named ‘your own talent and creativity’.