Writing for Academic Discussion Should schools prioritize teachig children how to be creative?

The necessity of teaching creativity in schools is a topic of considerable debate, especially in our rapidly evolving world. Some argue that fostering creativity is essential for preparing children for future challenges and opportunities, while others believe that traditional academic subjects should take precedence to ensure a solid educational foundation. What is your opinion on this issue? Should schools prioritize teaching children how to be creative? Why or why not?

 

 

☆Let’s Read

Read the following articles, underlined by yours truly Sasaki, and make sure what creativity is and how it can be learned.

 

Article 1: Medical students 'raised on screens lack skills for surgery'

Leading surgeon says lack of hobbies and creativity in schools has affected children’s practical abilities

Matthew Weaver  Oct 2018  The Guardian

 

Article 2

The Guardian view on creativity in schools: a missing ingredient

Imagination should infuse teaching of science as well as the arts. Children are not pitchers to be filled with facts   Oct 2019

 

☆Let’s think

1.       Why is creativity important?

2.       How can school teach creativity? What are creative classes?

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Creativity (arts, experiments, and extracurricular activities)

1.       Whether one is creative or not will be crucial in the near future as the impacts of climate change becomes serious and more routine jobs will be taken care of by AI.

2.       Real creativity comes from real contact with nature, people, and society.

 

Academic subjects

1.        To create something new, you need to know what has already been created. What you think is new might already exist.

2.        Another pandemic may happen. (economic conditions, social trends)

 

 

☆Sample Answer

【Thesis】Although I agree with Meg in that creativity is the inspiration that is the key to solve difficult problems and come up with new ideas, I don’t think school should prioritize teaching creativity because in my view, school cannot teach creativity in a real sense.　It is not a subject. Thus, I think school should prioritize providing quality education of academic subjects for children, while reducing school hours and homework, to help their natural development of creativity.

【Creativity】Creativity is not something that you learn from school education but something you forget in school. Children are naturally all creative. Yet, once they start school, they lose creativity. Studies to get good scores in examinations of subjects in which they have no interest stunts the development of their neurons, which had been budding freely by then. Long school hours and large amounts of homework reduce their free time, reducing their time to be creative.

【Academic Subjects】On the other hand, academic subjects are indispensable to develop and mature a creative mind. They provide knowledge and skills to understand and internalize nature, people, and society in detail and deeply. Teachers should be here to support children do these jobs by providing them with proper materials and assignment.

【Conclusion】What school can do is to teach traditionally academic subjects well, and therefore, although it is paradoxical, school should not prioritize creativity to help children creative. (227 words)