Divergent Youth

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

                           There was a study done recently about Divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is one's capacity for creativity. Divergent thinking is being able to see all the possible answers to a question. Seeing lots of ways to interpret a question, to see multiple answers (Robinson 22). Not JUST ONE. In the experiment, Professor Ken Robinson tested 1500 people on Divergent thinking. 98% of them tested at the genius level for Divergence.  These were Kindergarten children. 5 years later, the same group of children were tested as 5th graders, and only 50% of them scored at as a Divergent thinker. Then, the same children, 5 years later, were tested as sophomores in high school and only 24% of these teens scored on a Divergent level. This study proves a point however. One would think that the number of Divergent thinkers would increase with age instead of decrease. But this study shows 2 things:
            1) We all have this capacity.
            2) It mostly deteriorates with "education."
Many things happened to that test group of kids as they grew up, the most obvious ones being: They became educated. They spent 10 years of school being told there was ONE answer...and it's in the back of the book. But don't look! And don't copy! Because that's "cheating." Outside of school, however, that would be called collaboration (Capstone 89).        

                America needs to think differently about human capacity. The education system needs to recognize that most great things, happen in groups, and that collaboration is the catalyst of growth. Lastly, remember that ALL children are born Divergent (Robinson 13). This rigged system of development must not be allowed to rob students of their right to free and full development, right to a proper education, right to having freedom from discrimination, and freedom of expression.

Works Cited

Gerstein, Jackie M. "User Generated Education." User Generated Education. N.p., Oct. 2007. Web. 29 May 2013.

Robinson, Ken, and Lou Aronica. The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. New York: Viking, 2009. Print.

Robinson, Ken, and Lou Aronica. Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life. New York, NY: Viking, 2013. Print.

Robinson, Ken. Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative. Oxford: Capstone, 2001. Print.