Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we’re educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence.
A visionary cultural leader, Sir Ken led the British government’s 1998 advisory committee on creative and cultural education, a massive inquiry into the significance of creativity in the educational system and the economy, and was knighted in 2003 for his achievements.
Sir Ken Robinson argues that we don’t get the best out of people because we’ve been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. Students with restless minds and bodies — far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity — are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences.
“We are educating people out of their creativity,” Robinson says. It’s a message with deep resonance.
In 2009, St Paul’s School established The Centre for Research, Innovation and Future Development. Since then, innovative and courageous staff professional development programs run through The Centre have seen St Paul’s School develop an international reputation as strong proponents of Sir Ken’s philosophies.
As part of St Paul’s philosophy on embracing creativity, Imagen8 was created in 2012 so that creative opportunities could be offered to students from across Brisbane and surrounding areas.
Head master at St Paul’s School, Dr Paul Browning is passionate about creativity and innovation. He states, “as a country we absolutely have to innovate. What, and how we teach has to change. Creativity, innovation, global understanding, language and entrepreneurial skills have to be nurtured and fostered in our young people in order to create a future, that as a nation, we can look forward to. Imagen8 celebrates the change to education that has to occur in all our schools.”
Centre for Research, Innovation and Future Development
Ken Robinson
His 2009 book, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything, is a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into 21 languages. A 10th anniversary edition of his classic work on creativity and innovation, Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative, was published in 2011. His latest book, Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life, was published by Viking in May 2013.