Does school kill creativity?

[dazzerfong]

I don't know how they operate in your country, but in my opinion, it's not fair to accuse the teachers of not caring. They are trained in one thing, in one circumstance, in one scenario. Over in Australia, we have special schools to accommodate people with disorders: I know plenty of ADD-afflicted people who were transferred to such schools, and from how I saw them since, they turned out much better.

 

Repressing creativity, and actually eliminating creativity, is different. School represses it, but it doesn't kill it. It's like killing an aspect of your personality: it's incredibly hard to. Thus, again, in my opinion, that a lot of people who crave for creativity, believing it to be a solution to their problems, but don't have creativity are blaming the education system for their inherent lack of creativity.

 

@ lv000:

 

On the contrary, actually: people with alternative outlooks to life often succeed in art in that they have a uniqueness in them that transcends ordinary people. Thrive on it, let it fuel you, and whenever others criticise you, remember that it's art. There's no such thing as bad art. Everyone starts out bad, but after I reflect my 2 years of experience, I often laugh at my first work.

 

EDIT: Just realized the thread was dead for 2 weeks. Apologies in advance if someone cleans this thread up.

Edited August 17, 2012 by dazzerfong

[naomis8329]

The thing is not to segregate children or adults with special needs unless they are totally incapable of integrating into main stream education. The majority of children and adults I deal with are quite capable of integration and thoroughly enjoy being with their peer groups in a "normal" classroom. They have their own assistants to assist if things get difficult and to assist if they have difficulty writing, reading or the like, but on the whole they get more out of main stream then being shut away in "Special" schools.

 

In the real world we must accept people for who and what they are. We are all different and there is no such thing as "normal" in today's day and age. We need to learn to help those that are more unfortunate than ourselves and give time and patience to those that need it.

 

Everyone deserves a chance to be with the "normal" people, regardless of what we decide or label as such. As a person with children with learning difficulties and having two difficulties of my own, I am more than aware of what people go through. Patience is necessary, understanding a must and labelling should be outlawed across the board.

 

We all deserve the same, regardless of creed, colour, belief or standing. Its time we lived up to this instead of paying it lip service. What we must remember is that discrimination is taught not inherited. We have a duty to those coming after us to eliminate discrimination in schools, work and social areas.

 

Maybe I'm idealistic, but I try to teach patience and understanding to my own children and grandchildren, why can't others do the same?

[Iv000]

@dazzerfong

Yes, most teachers are trained, but not in teaching it seems.

I feel like they're trying to teach me discipline, and not what they should. Basically, I don't have good grades, I am not good enough for the system, I should therefore feel bad and be punished by my parents. They are just making more mindless robots, it's obvious. At least it's like that in my country.

 

It's a ring of fire; Good grades? > No? > Punishment, you should feel bad because of that > Did they improve? > No? > Punishment, you should feel bad because of that ... repeat

No encouragement, no positiveness, nothing. People like me end up greatly wounded then, maybe creativity isn't killed but it definitely is damaged.

 

@Naomis

Maybe I'm idealistic, but I try to teach patience and understanding to my own children and grandchildren, why can't others do the same?

 

We will never know that. I never understood it either.

People are different, but I don't know how they can be so different not to tolerate someone else or understand the situation.

There are still people who think that dark skinned people are scum. There are people who think that because of the fact that I like men, I should be punished by death or have less rights as others. (A teacher in my school teaches that, actually)

Many people, many opinions and technically, nobody is wrong. But in truth, if we want to live in a good and balanced society, then we know very well who is wrong.

 

I'll continue and try and teach other people about understanding and basically everything what naomis said.

[mizdarby]

I would like to think, that most teachers are good educators, and on the whole have a passion for giving their pupils the best possible start in life, within the confines of the educational system. Saying that though, the principle aim of schooling in the UK seems to geared towards results. Successive governments have established a rigid curriculum, and the scope for thinking outside of the box, and the creative processes, are stifled in the relentless desire to get good results.

The other harsh but true aim of schooling, is too create the drones of the future. 80% of children are destined to work in supermarkets, fast food chains, hairdressers, factories and the low level jobs, which are essential to running a modern economy, but not necessarily requiring one iota of creativity. How creative does a checkout girl need to be. And many of the other 20% are destined for a lifetime of unemployment. So schools are geared, not to creating deep thinkers and innovators, but rather a production line of faceless individuals with unremarkable lives.

When I left school, my careers adviser asked me what sort of work I was looking for, and when I said I wanted to be a biochemist, he basically spent the rest of my interview, trying to get me to be more realistic and get a good job down at the local supermarket. I must confess, I love working as a biochemist, but it was no thanks to my schooling, but more down to chasing the dream and doing my own thing.

So I think school doesn't actually kill creativity, but it doesn't really encourage it either.

[dazzerfong]

@ lv000:

 

Interesting. Since I went to an 'academic selective' school, if you get bad grades, you get chastised with your talk with the principal, but nothing beyond that. By the way, which country do you live in? Your anecdotes contrast very sharply with mine: not saying that you're lying, but to me, it could be a different interpretation of events. Maybe you view punishment differently to me? I've grown up to accept them.

 

@ mizdarby:

 

That's strange: I've met people back in high school who wanted to be professors in universities, and the school careers advisors encouraged them to do that, even though they can't do public speaking for jack!

 

But regarding the 'drone'-like lifestyle: well, you do live in a democracy (I think), and democracy doesn't really work without conformity. Imagine over a thousand heavily contrasting political views, all with an equal amount of supporters: we'll need a thousand parties to cover the all!

[Iv000]

I live in Croatia.

 

People with ADD usually view punishment differently than others. I'm very very sensitive, I cried many times over bad grades in school, even more when the teachers criticized me because of my bad handwriting/sloppyness/problems with remembering what I read/etc. And the more people criticize me the worse it gets. So yeah after 10 years, no wonder I developed social anxiety disorder.

 

Have you read the rest of my posts in this thread? They should pretty much explain my situation. I'm not the only one in this thread with such problems.

[naomis8329]

I hate to say it but career's advisers maybe associated with certain schools but they have no idea what the individual pupil is capable of. They have no access to grades, expected or given and can only give advice based on what is available geographically and topographically.

 

Example, the student wishing to be a biochemist if there are no such institutions in the area offering that type of employment, the student will be encouraged to look at alternative career choices that are more typical for that area, region etc etc.

 

You are correct however in saying that only YOU can achieve your dream. I have always said to my children that no matter what they want to be they will achieve it, through determination, hard work and self belief. My eldest girl is 25, she wants to be a doctor. Left school at 15 worked at McDonalds for 4 years rising through the ranks very quickly I hasten to add. Left at 19 to have her children and now wishes to return to college to achieve her dream. She will have to go about it a longer way, but through sheer grit and determination she will get there. She has it planned out and with the correct guidance and support will achieve.

 

I went back to Uni at the age of 38 and achieved a 2:1 honours degree in Business Information Technology, during which I had my youngest child nearly dying through the process, moved house and survived a car crash. You are never too old to achieve your dreams, you just have to believe in yourself and you will do it.

[dazzerfong]

@ lv000:

 

Well, that's unfortunate, I suppose that it's hard for me to empathise. If, potentially, I come across as a bit scathing, please note that I'm not doing to harm you, or anybody.

 

Though, back in the (high school) days, whenever a teacher complains at someone's handwriting, we just laugh at him, only for some of us to get chastised by the teacher for the same thing. Irony, don't you love it?

 

I don't have much experience interacting with people with ADD, but as far as I know, isn't it just attention deficiency, as you can't pay attention? I never knew it was related to anxiety......

 

@ naomis8329:

 

Yes, of course. Though, in my high school's case, they have everything down to how good I'm doing in a particular subject, and actually talk with you to up to 2 hours (if he/she's free) to gauge you. I suppose that I'm lucky. Unfortunately for me, I don't have a particular 'dream' job. Perhaps one that involves modding, but I never looked upon it as a job.

 

Kudos to your daughter for this: I know plenty of people who spend over 10 years in universities trying to pursue a degree in medicine. Whether it's for the best or not is up to them, but I don't like sitting in a classroom: I like experiencing the sheer disgust of the world. You're very much like my father, and in the good way. :)

Edited August 18, 2012 by dazzerfong

[Iv000]

Don't worry, I'm not offended.

 

In my previous school people did the same, they laughed at others differences. I was probably the only one out of the 30 of us that didn't laugh, because I didn't understand what's there to laugh at. Differences? What's there to laugh at? And then even make the person you're laughing at feel bad because he thinks he did something wrong. That's not the right way to do it.

 

ADD is a lot more complicated than just that, take a look at the symptoms listed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_deficit_disorder That's only the most common ones, there are many more. And like I said, anxiety and depression isn't a part of ADD, it's what happens when you don't treat people with ADD correctly. Same thing happens with children who are physically abused. Mental/emotional abuse isn't much different.

 

And well, besides ADD I most likely also have Aspergers syndrome and mild dyslexia. Well, so did Einstein, Tesla, Edison, Zuckerberg and other famous people. School didn't put them down, and it won't me either. It's a period we have to go through, it's more difficult for us then it is for others, but in the end it always turns out good. :happy:

[dazzerfong]

In Australia, we have a funny way of humour: it's best summed in the phrase 'taking the piss,' which means taking insults, but actually meaning the opposite. It's a bit daunting with people with anxiety, thus I'm afraid that I might accidentally insult you because you took it, well, not the Aussie way.