I agree with the basic conception of Ken Robinson’s speech. He believes human have the richness capacity. All kids have tremendous talents. I like these phrases and I believe it. He say the talents and creativities of children are should be improved in education. I think it is right and important, and of course I was very amazed by the success story of Gillian Lynne. However I also think his opinion is just ideal in current society. To make action and to accomplish the revolution is more difficult than expected.

 

For example, there is the education system known as yutori in Japan.

That was designed to relieve the pressures on students and broaden their perspective. Educators expected that the system would improve student’s creativities.

I am exactly a memner of the generation who received the education. I used to go to school five days a week. I took classes with thinner textbook. New subject “General studies” was introduced. The aim of the subject is to increase the time for independent. General studies are not have exam and score. It was fun for me to learn based my own interest.

Looking back over the past, I realize my childhood are free and lively. After school I had time to go swimming school, painting gallery, playing the piano and violin and playing outside with my friends. I have never gone to cram school before. On weekends, I had enough time to travel with my family because I didn’t have school.

However in recent years the education was phased out. Why it was changed despite improving children’s creativities is wonderful? It is said that one of the reasons is the rank of international exam was falling. Didn’t it focus on creativity? Are you care about the rank of exam yet? You would feel some contradictions.

 

 

I think “creativity” is something ambiguous. To keep the balance of academic studies and creative things are important but how to distinguish these subject are not clear. In case of the mathematics, who studies hard can take good score and who doesn’t study enough take bad score. That is very simple. It would make you feel easy that you can see the figure. In other words people usually want to visualize the effort and the result. But you can’t see the result of creativity easily. I think in public education the classroom teachers can’t wait until children get the great achievement by using their creativity because one teacher has many students and the time limit is one year. It took even Gillian Lynne long time to be a famous dancer.

 

In short, we need long time and big effort to change the system, to continue  it and to ingrain it. Then what should we do? I think the cooperation of home and  school is key success factor. The parents should be interested in their children’s lives in school and shouldn’t say complaint to teachers all the time. They don’t forget their home is the first education place for children.

To change the social system is difficult but to change our own mind and action is easy. I hope I can support children who make the future in the whole society as well as the school education.