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WATCH: Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity

I’ve been having arguments discussions about this with my girl lately. I don’t see why any child of mine should have to go through the hell I did. That I managed to pull myself out of it in time and not succumb to their vicious spirit smashing programme was the sort of crazy luck that only happens once a bloody millennium. Fuck school.

Cheers Pink Ninja for the link.

— By Akira The Don on Friday, September 17th, 2010

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  • Karl

    So, are we to assume that your side of these discussions goes something along the lines of you not wanting to send any future kids you might have to school?
    If so what would you propose as an alternative, the only ones I can think of are home schooling or private tutoring, would you have the time/patience/knowledge/finances for either of these alternatives?
    I didn’t have the best of times at school either but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not a great time for some, both educationally and socially. My niece for example cannot wait for the school holidays to be over so she can get back to school, both to see her friends and for the lessons which she enjoys.
    Whilst I believe that the school system (Worldwide, not just in England) is far from ideal. With kids often being taught by underqualified teachers, using outdated reasources, in oversize classes, in underfunded schools, it is still a fantastic PRIVILEDGE

    • NorwayKarl

      Oops, posted incomplete by accident!!!

  • Sparky

    Okay, watched this in its entirety and read the article about the asshats trying to suspend a kid for having human emotions (shit even if he was high, given the circumstances, let it go). The problem goes so much deeper than just schools (though there is no question serious educational reform has been in order for some time). It’s really a societal issue where we’re no longer comfortable allowing kids to have free time, be creative, or really just be kids.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/business/02kids.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=child%27s+ordeal+reveals+risks+of+psychiatric+drugs+in+youth&st=cse
    This article from the New York Times shows a similar, if even more worrisome, problem, but in an interiorly different field. Then we can add in that at just about every socioeconomic level, kids don’t really have free time to go and explore their childhoods. Rich people’s kids are often absurdly over-scheduled, between little league, music lessons, tutoring, seeing their shrink and whatever else there parents sign them up for. Then you have latch key kids who’s parents need to work two jobs to make ends meet, so when they get home from school, they let themselves in and sit in front of the TV or play video games for hours on end for entertainment.

    Now, I’m not trying to say that there’s anything wrong with having kids be involved in sports, learn to play instruments, or playing video games (I have an impressive stack sitting by my tv and studies conducted on video games with any scientific validity are starting to show some benefits as well: http://www.physorg.com/news203599948.html and http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/faculty/caa/abstracts/2005-2009/09GAYISMSLKBHS.pdf ). The problem is that most kids no longer need to be creative in order to entertain themselves and when they are, half the time it’s seen as a problem to be medicated away. So yeah, by all means go on about school being detrimental, in many ways it is. Also keep in mind though that many of the problems with schools are societal, not limited to the classroom and playground. I think that’s enough stuffy academic ranting from me for one day.

    • Akira The Don

      WORD! I agree.

      • Sparky

        Also, while the public education system does in many respects, suck balls, I'm on board with Karl that it's a good deal better than nothing and way less expensive than the other, better options. Once there are little Dons and or Donettes running about, school would be a good idea. Just make sure their other sixteen hours a day are awesome enough to make up for any bullshit encountered while doing the school thing.

  • NorwayKarl

    So, are we to assume that your side of these discussions goes something along the lines of you not wanting to send any future kids you might have to school?

    If so what would you propose as an alternative? The only ones I can think of are home schooling or private tutoring, would you have the time/patience/knowledge/finances for either of these alternatives?

    I didn't have the best of times at school either but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's not a great time for some, both educationally and socially. My niece for example cannot wait for the school holidays to be over so she can get back to school, both to see her friends and for the lessons which she enjoys. And my wife tells me that she couldn't wait for breaks to be over so she could go back in to her lessons!

    Whilst I believe that the school system (Worldwide, not just in England) is far from ideal, with kids often being taught by underqualified teachers, using outdated reasources, in oversize classes, in underfunded schools, there is one thing that we should remember.

    WE ARE FANTASTICALLY PRIVILEDGED TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO A FREE EDUCATION!

    In a world where far too many people do not have even basic human rights, let alone the chance to benefit from an education, we should consider ourselves very lucky to have the schools that we do, imperfect as they may be.

    I think that the best you can do for any future Dons or Donettes is to send them to state school with all the other little kids, in the hope that they will gain at least some valuable knowledge in the years that they spend there. At the same time ensure that you teach them the lessons you have learnt in life and try to make sure that they enjoy learning and finding things out for themselves. Teach them to question EVERYTHING including (especially) you and never to assume that something is right just because a teacher says so or because it's written in a book/on the internet!

    Whilst you may not have enjoyed school or feel that you learnt a great deal there of any use, you should not assume that any future kids you might have will have the same experience. Also you should consider the fact that the school system has changed since the days when you were last there!

    And anyway, does this mean that you and Mrs. Don have been discussing having kids?!!!!

  • http://twitter.com/tirosince89 Gerry Norton

    My solution is to not bring a child into this awful world…well, the world is beautiful & wondrous, but this monstrous mess of a society most certainly isn’t good enough for my spawn.