Does school kill creativity?

[JimboUK]

Don't think funding is the answer because it isn't, on this side of the pond the last government threw billions at the schools, the result? employers are now complaining that an alarming number of todays school leavers are completely unemployable because they can't read or write properly.

That's a problem here too, to the point where many employers have begun listing "Bachelor's/Associate's Degree Required/Preferred" for jobs that don't even remotely require one. they're so worried (some of them) that high school didn't do the job right that they think a degree is going to fix that.

Companies are just hiring based on what the market will bear. They get so many applications for so few jobs that they can demand applicants have a bachelor's. If they could, they'd demand a doctorate. It doesn't mean they think you need a bachelor's or doctorate to take phone calls. It reflects nothing on the quality of schooling. This is just a way of culling the herd which is just slightly less arbitrary than saying "REQUIREMENTS: Last name must begin with letters 'A' through 'G'" or "REQUIREMENTS: Candidate must have perfect kindergarten attendance record and blood type O-negative."

 

Sadly this is the case and it's terribly short sighted, once the economy picks up and more jobs become available they're going to find a large number of their staff leaving for better jobs. Instead of having a workforce who know their job and the company they'll have to hire and train new people who will take time to get up to speed. I remember years ago being over-qualified for a vacancy was nearly as bad as being under-qualified.

[HeyYou]

Don't think funding is the answer because it isn't, on this side of the pond the last government threw billions at the schools, the result? employers are now complaining that an alarming number of todays school leavers are completely unemployable because they can't read or write properly.

That's a problem here too, to the point where many employers have begun listing "Bachelor's/Associate's Degree Required/Preferred" for jobs that don't even remotely require one. they're so worried (some of them) that high school didn't do the job right that they think a degree is going to fix that.

Companies are just hiring based on what the market will bear. They get so many applications for so few jobs that they can demand applicants have a bachelor's. If they could, they'd demand a doctorate. It doesn't mean they think you need a bachelor's or doctorate to take phone calls. It reflects nothing on the quality of schooling. This is just a way of culling the herd which is just slightly less arbitrary than saying "REQUIREMENTS: Last name must begin with letters 'A' through 'G'" or "REQUIREMENTS: Candidate must have perfect kindergarten attendance record and blood type O-negative."

 

Sadly this is the case and it's terribly short sighted, once the economy picks up and more jobs become available they're going to find a large number of their staff leaving for better jobs. Instead of having a workforce who know their job and the company they'll have to hire and train new people who will take time to get up to speed. I remember years ago being over-qualified for a vacancy was nearly as bad as being under-qualified.

 

I can't count the number of jobs that I DIDN'T get, because HR figgered I was "over qualified"..... (I have near 20 years in the PC tech field, and was applying for entry level positions, as that's all that was available....) Even though I TOLD THEM that I wasn't expecting top dollar for an entry level job...... I suppose being over 50 didn't help me any either......

[Nintii]

What school does is give you an education that is required - whether you agree with what is being taught or not - so that you can get a job and become a useful contributor to society.

As far as I'm concerned the greats in the world manifested their talents mainly because they simply couldn't keep it in ... a true artist will never silenced unless they silence themselves.

[Marxist ßastard]

once the economy picks up and more jobs become available they're going to find a large number of their staff leaving for better jobs

Well that's putting the cart before the horse. The recession ended three years ago, and the stock market is now above where it was in '06. Unemployment remains high only because

• Employers are now used to having one employee do the work of four, and
• There aren't enough wages being paid to stimulate growth in demand.

We won't have more jobs once the economy picks up. Rather, the economy will only pick up once we have more jobs.

[JimboUK]

once the economy picks up and more jobs become available they're going to find a large number of their staff leaving for better jobs

Well that's putting the cart before the horse. The recession ended three years ago, and the stock market is now above where it was in '06. Unemployment remains high only because

• Employers are now used to having one employee do the work of four, and
• There aren't enough wages being paid to stimulate growth in demand.

We won't have more jobs once the economy picks up. Rather, the economy will only pick up once we have more jobs.

 

The problem still remains, these staff will leave as soon as something more suited to their talents appears. If you hire someone overqualified then you've hired someone who is not going to be around long term, managers knew this back in the days when management required experience and sense rather than a diploma and a knowledge of buzzwords.

[Ghogiel]

On topic, a long while back I watched this:

 

 

I mostly agree with his perspective. I have a vague recollection of posting it on this forum in the past as well. :thumbsup:

[Keanumoreira]

On topic, a long while back I watched this:

 

 

I mostly agree with his perspective. I have a vague recollection of posting it on this forum in the past as well. :thumbsup:

 

That's the vid that I saw on Ted and what inspired this debate. He makes a lot of good points, and a lot of it does make sense. I believe society is in need of a change, but that's just me. :biggrin:

Edited May 30, 2012 by Keanumoreira

[Nadimos]

Does school kill creativity? Yes. And im gratefull for that Ted Talk.

 

Far to much bs goin on like you gotta do this and that, when i could have done my own thing long ago, but i kept listening so much to that nonsense even when it did not really make any sense in feeling. And this is like the worse error one can do. Not trusting oneself/being afraid of breaking out.

 

Although not all is bad. Some of the things they teach in schools in the beginning is really basic knowledge and i would say it is good to have this avaible, but later on there really should be more freedom of choice, well and more knowledge be given on in general.

 

For one there is the banking system and/or the media. This complex already has been prooven to be problematic over a hundred years ago and you should see what ppl write from those times.

 

I really wish ppl just would take the banana out of their ears for their own benefit

and that of their childrens and that of their childrens childrens.

 

Like what are they gonna do with a radioactive wasteland or oil spills, when you got so much geothermal energy right now below your feet and so much sun power coming in per minute, not to talk about wind or water.

 

And believe it or not there are relatively small windmills, which can condense up to several thousand liters of water per day. With an honest effort ppl having no water and food can be solved now, but surely it wont be by shooting ppl dead in their village with military just to get some land for your palm oil, which ppl then can buy at home to cream their leg with or by robbing the coast of africa of the last fish, to then sell it at home, all funded by tax.

 

Need i say more?

 

Is it wrong to ask for some more consistency instead to have those who succumb to that above(often unknowingly+being under media fire)?

 

Or food, industrial food is so bad, if you eat it daily, you will get ill in the long run and it cost the taxpayer just so much money in the process, but nvm me talking about whats really an issue yeah. Like the aluminium industry putting their waste, which lots of is fluorid, into toothpaste.

 

Remember to not swallow.....

Edited May 31, 2012 by Nadimos

[HeyYou]

Everything I needed to know about life, I learned in kindergarten?

 

Actually, that's pretty accurate.... These days, school isn't about producing a valuable product, it's about rote memorization, and the ability to pass 'standardized' tests. But even that isn't good enough for some folks. There are groups claiming "bias" in the test questions, be it racial, or gender..... Seems we can't be politically correct enough. We are always discriminating against someone it seems.

 

One thing the schools don't teach, that they really should, is basic life skills. How to handle a household budget, how to balance your checkbook, etc... all of that has fallen by the wayside, buried under the debate of 'evolution or creationism'. Are we having fun yet?

[myrmaad]

Does school kill creativity?

 

no.

 

 

edit:

haha I wasn't going to allow myself to be dragged into this, but since when do schools not teach how to balance a checkbook? They did when I was in school and they still do in my local area. It's regularly a math project.