Forwarding the Conversation

Answer: In this Ted Talk Ken Robinson argues that schools designed with the purpose of educating children for an industrial economy prioritize certain types of learning over others. This prioritization means that certain skills, capacities, etc that a child may have are either de-valued or stigmatized. So yes, in many ways schools – as they exist today – can kill creativity.

Another anecdote that may provide interesting context to this video. During my year in the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs I conducted a series of interviews (close to 30) with various stakeholders in the area of education. The purpose of these interviews was to determine ‘what was missing?’ from St. Louis’ collective conversation about education. What I found is that – in all but two interviews – the interviewee did not speak about what was in the best interest of the students until we were 45 minutes into our session. My questions were broad and open-ended, and I neither attempted to steer my interview subjects in that or another direction – I simply allowed them to go where they pleased. 

Everyone says that they care about the issue of education. All individuals who work in the field of education say – when asked – that their primary concerns are with the students. What is missing from this picture?