Just about 8pm Saturday evening, I went to my Facebook page. Surprisingly, the first news item I saw on my Facebook wall or timeline was the news of the death of Professor (Prof.) Ken Robinson, a famous advocate for education and learning.
Prof. Robinson has changed my views on education, learning and creativity a lot, since I started listening to his Ted Talk Speech on why schools around the world and education in general need to focus more on getting children to be creative and not intelligent.
According to him, creativity is a natural talent or gift given by God that helps man to solve problems. Education, however, is a slow aid to the growth of creativity in human beings because it makes us only good to an extent and does not help us to explore more.
Education's main focus is on literacy (ability to read and write) and does not go further to help your mind or brain explore its capacity to its full potential.
He feared amongst many things that education will only help children, students and adult learners reproduce (give out) what they have acquired through knowledge. And not get curious to find out and explore why something happens, how it happens and how it affects us, which is what creativity is all about.
To help you understand my message better, I'm sure we all know at least someone or people who have not been to school or been educated but can assemble car parts into a complete car, better than an educated engineer can.
Those of us in Ghana can testify with Apostle Kwadwo Sarfo.
Did you know that Albert Einstein was even expelled from Zurich Polytechnic Institute because he failed to pass all his test several times. Years later, he will go on to invent the law of Relativity (E=Mc2) which is responsible for so many breakthroughs and wonders in technology and science today.
At a young age, Thomas Edison came home with a letter in his hand from school to be given to his mother. In the letter, his teacher wrote.... your son is so dumb, I cannot do anything more to help him. Deal with him as you please. Edison's mother went on to home school his own child for years and today we know of the genius history of Edison and all about his electrical Inventions for America and the world.
With the help of these examples, i'm sure by now you do understand the clear difference between creativity and education. People, most times confuse or misunderstand education to mean creativity.
Education is supposed to help grow creativity to more not slow it. But our education system makes us think like robots who do not think or apply reason to tasks, they only do as instructed. This is what education does folks.
He was always campaigning for more schools to encourage dance and music lessons, socialisation and more human interactions between children at early ages in schools to help build and expand their brain activity and thoughts or better, learn a language or a sporting activity alongside learning to write ABCD in the classroom. 3 or 4 months later that poor child will be sitting for a test to reproduce the same ABCD without understanding clearly what A or B is or what it means.
What are you teaching your children today to help them be creative and innovative to solve problems?
Or should I conclude then that there was no need for God to give us the gift of creativity because our man-made education is enough to solve all the problems we have in this world.
If it is, I will be damn disappointed and angry if a port belly politician or business men in Ghana especially come to say young men of today are not creative or innovative enough for the world of work.
Knowing very well the twisted education system and structure we have.
May thunder strike the centre of the foreheads of people who hold that view.
To you Prof. Robinson... You have taught me well from afar. I hope I make you very proud.
Rest in Peace Sir.
Kwame Sarpong
Freelance Writer
(VPE, Kumasi Toastmasters Club, Ghana)
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