Creativity, Culture and Education

"There are many misconceptions about creativity. Some

people associate creative teaching with a lack of discipline in

education. Others see creative ability as the preserve of a

gifted few, rather than of the many; others associate it only

with the arts. In our view, creativity is possible in all areas of

human activity and all young people and adults have creative

capacities. Developing these capacities involves a balance

between teaching skills and understanding, and promoting the

freedom to innovate, and take risks."

This is from a white paper published in 1999 in the UK, about the importance of creativity in the classroom. You can read the full report here, All Our Futures. It is their view that to move forward, as a society, into the 21st century we need to do more than "just improve literacy and numeracy skills. We need a broad, flexible and motivating education that recognises the different talents of all children and delivers excellence for everyone."