I’m so glad I’m not a high schooler anymore because tomorrow is the first day back at school for many kids across the UK. The long summer holiday is over and a new school year begins. I hated the first day of school, and I hated every single day thereafter! School never engaged me and I served my time in education like a bank robber serves time in jail.

I’m sure there have been many leaps and bounds made in education since I was in high school. But back then I loathed the fact that I was measured by nothing more than my ability to score well in academic tests that ignored so much of who I was and who I believed I could be. I rebelled against a system that seemed crippled and unable to recognize or place any worth in the creative subjects I excelled in and enjoyed.

In the video below Sir Ken Robinson asserts that the traditional education systems of the world educate people out of their creativity. In his talk he makes a compelling and entertaining case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. With ample anecdotes and witty asides, Robinson points out the many ways our schools fail to recognize, much less cultivate, the creative talents of many.

“[Children] are not frightened being wrong. Now, I don’t mean to say that being wrong is same as being creative, but what we do know is: if you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original… and by the time they get to be adults, most of the kids have lost that capacity.” Says Robinson.

No matter if you loved or loathed school, I seriously recommend taking 18 minutes out of your day to watch this talk given by Sir Ken Robinson TED in 2006.

Sir Ken Robinson
Be inspired : Ben Saunders
TED conference