I’d like to mention about both pros and cons for Mr. Robinson’s opinions.
Basically, I agree with his opinion that teachers should notice children’s talents and try to develop them. There is an idiom “what one likes, one will do best”. The story of Gillian Lynne who is a dancer he provided is a good example of it. So teachers should notice students’ curiosities and respect each imagination. And I also agree with the opinion that score isn’t everything of students.
However, I can’t agree with his opinions at mainly three points.
First, it’s about the role of a school. He said, “There isn’t an education system on the planet that teaches dance every day to children the way we teach them mathematics. Why? Why not?” Of course, I think “minor subject” called in Japan, such as arts and music should be respected as same as other subjects. But originally schools don’t set the motto to develop children’s specific abilities. I think public education is for all people so educations in the school should meet common needs. One of the common needs is to learn basic and universal knowledge to live. It is natural that reading, writing and arithmetic are focused on classes. In addition, students can enjoy club activities so there is an opportunity to develop their talents except studies.
Second, it’s about the way to find your talents. I don’t hope schools make an atmosphere that each talent is the most important. Because if you can’t notice your talents, you’ll spend too much time to find what your talent is. It’s a waste of time, isn’t it? Takashi Saito, a Japanese educator, writes as follows in his work “Lessons from Yukichi Fukuzawa”. “If you think about your talents, it must be difficult to challenge new things.” We can’t find own talents easily so we have to pile up much experience. After that, we can decide own way based on own abilities. Mr. Robinson says “all kids have tremendous talents” but his examples are rare cases so we shouldn’t expect that all kids have special talents.
Third, it’s about the kind of talents. “Talent” doesn’t mean only a talent of arts or sports. Mr. Robinson only focuses on them and he didn’t mention about the talent of studies. I think he missed to evaluate the big role of school which develops children’s curiosities for studies. As I said, the score has nothing to do with the worth as a human being. However, students study hard for the score and also find interests of each subject through studies. Hence, I think the system of score shouldn’t be abandoned.
As for me, I’ve been playing the piano and the cello, and I tried to be a musician when I was an elementary school student. But after I entered the junior high school, I became enthusiastic at studying history and became to want to be a scholar of history. If I had been provided musical professional education, the curiosity for history would have died for music. To educate them under the special situation at an early age would decide children’s course. It could kill other potential talents in children.
Therefore, I think the education which develops each talent is an ideal but extreme special educations would ruin children’s opportunity to study broadly. I expect schools and teachers to understand each student’s talents and respect it but they should let students do many activities including studies. They shouldn’t do special education from an early age. So I agree with keeping the education system in these days.