1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,469 [marker squeaks] 2 00:00:01,470 --> 00:00:16,070 [marker squeaks] 3 00:00:16,070 --> 00:00:17,070 (Sir Ken Robinson) Every country on Earth at the moment 4 00:00:17,070 --> 00:00:19,229 is reforming public education. 5 00:00:19,230 --> 00:00:21,389 There are two reasons for it. 6 00:00:21,390 --> 00:00:22,679 The first of them is economic. 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:24,569 People are trying to work out, 8 00:00:24,570 --> 00:00:27,689 how do we educate our children 9 00:00:27,690 --> 00:00:30,299 to take their place in the economies of the 21st century? 10 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:33,809 How do we do that, given that we can't anticipate 11 00:00:33,810 --> 00:00:36,989 what the economy will look like at the end of next week, 12 00:00:36,990 --> 00:00:40,319 as the recent turmoil is demonstrating? 13 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,149 How do we do that? 14 00:00:42,150 --> 00:00:43,709 The second, though, is cultural. 15 00:00:43,710 --> 00:00:47,759 Every country on Earth is trying to figure out how do we 16 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,519 educate our children, so they have a sense of cultural identity 17 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:52,709 and so that we can pass on the cultural genes 18 00:00:52,710 --> 00:00:54,599 of our communities, 19 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:57,029 while being part of the process of globalization? 20 00:00:57,030 --> 00:00:59,909 How do you square that circle? 21 00:00:59,910 --> 00:01:03,149 The problem is, they're trying to meet the future 22 00:01:03,150 --> 00:01:05,488 by doing what they did in the past. 23 00:01:05,489 --> 00:01:08,129 And on the way they're alienating millions of kids 24 00:01:08,130 --> 00:01:10,949 who don't see any purpose in going to school. 25 00:01:10,950 --> 00:01:12,509 When we went to school, 26 00:01:12,510 --> 00:01:13,949 we were kept there with a story: 27 00:01:13,950 --> 00:01:15,959 which is if you worked hard, and did well, 28 00:01:15,960 --> 00:01:18,359 and got a college degree, you would have a job. 29 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,129 Our kids don't believe that. 30 00:01:20,130 --> 00:01:21,509 And they're right not to, by the way. 31 00:01:21,510 --> 00:01:23,429 You're better having a degree than not, 32 00:01:23,430 --> 00:01:25,409 but it's not a guarantee anymore. 33 00:01:25,410 --> 00:01:27,419 And particularly not if the route 34 00:01:27,420 --> 00:01:29,399 to it marginalizes most of the things 35 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,319 that you think are important about yourself. 36 00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:32,009 And some people say, 37 00:01:32,010 --> 00:01:34,319 "We have to raise standards," as if this is a breakthrough. 38 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:37,889 You know, like, really? Yes, we should. 39 00:01:37,890 --> 00:01:39,119 Why would you lower them? [audience chuckles] 40 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:42,089 You know, I haven't come across an argument 41 00:01:42,090 --> 00:01:43,919 that persuades me of lowering them. 42 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,499 But raising them, of course, we should raise them. 43 00:01:46,500 --> 00:01:49,289 The problem is that the current system of education 44 00:01:49,290 --> 00:01:52,619 was designed, and conceived, 45 00:01:52,620 --> 00:01:55,949 and structured for a different age. 46 00:01:55,950 --> 00:01:57,839 It was conceived 47 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:02,099 in the intellectual culture of the Enlightenment, 48 00:02:02,100 --> 00:02:06,269 and in the economic circumstances of the Industrial Revolution. 49 00:02:06,270 --> 00:02:07,889 Before the middle of the 19th century, 50 00:02:07,890 --> 00:02:11,189 there were no systems of public education, not really. 51 00:02:11,190 --> 00:02:12,809 I mean, you could get educated by Jesuits, 52 00:02:12,810 --> 00:02:14,639 you know, if you had the money. 53 00:02:14,640 --> 00:02:17,729 But public education, paid for from taxation, 54 00:02:17,730 --> 00:02:20,429 compulsory to everybody, and free at the point of delivery. 55 00:02:20,430 --> 00:02:22,619 That was a revolutionary idea. 56 00:02:22,620 --> 00:02:24,659 And many people objected to it. 57 00:02:24,660 --> 00:02:27,239 They said it's not possible 58 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:29,399 for many street kids, working class children 59 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,229 to benefit from public education. 60 00:02:31,230 --> 00:02:32,789 They're incapable of learning to read and write, 61 00:02:32,790 --> 00:02:34,949 and why are we spending time on this? 62 00:02:34,950 --> 00:02:38,399 So, there's also built into it a whole series of assumptions 63 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,709 about social structure and capacity. 64 00:02:40,710 --> 00:02:43,799 It was driven by an economic imperative of the time. 65 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,589 But running right through it 66 00:02:46,590 --> 00:02:50,369 was an intellectual model of the mind, 67 00:02:50,370 --> 00:02:52,919 which was essentially the Enlightenment view of intelligence, 68 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:55,019 that real intelligence consists in this capacity 69 00:02:55,020 --> 00:02:57,179 for a certain type of deductive reasoning, 70 00:02:57,180 --> 00:02:59,609 and a knowledge of the classics, originally. 71 00:02:59,610 --> 00:03:02,789 What we come to think of as academic ability. 72 00:03:02,790 --> 00:03:05,699 And this is deep in the gene pool of public education 73 00:03:05,700 --> 00:03:07,319 that there are really two types of people: 74 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,029 academic and non academic, 75 00:03:09,030 --> 00:03:11,309 smart people and non-smart people. 76 00:03:11,310 --> 00:03:12,509 And the consequence of that is 77 00:03:12,510 --> 00:03:15,809 that many brilliant people think they're not 78 00:03:15,810 --> 00:03:18,029 because they've been judged against this particular 79 00:03:18,030 --> 00:03:19,649 view of the mind. 80 00:03:19,650 --> 00:03:23,369 So, we have twin pillars, economic and intellectual. 81 00:03:23,370 --> 00:03:25,049 And my view is 82 00:03:25,050 --> 00:03:29,429 that this model has caused chaos in many people's lives. 83 00:03:29,430 --> 00:03:30,659 It's been great for some; 84 00:03:30,660 --> 00:03:32,909 there have been people who've benefited wonderfully from it, 85 00:03:32,910 --> 00:03:35,849 but most people have not. 86 00:03:35,850 --> 00:03:37,679 Instead, they suffered this. 87 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,149 This is the modern epidemic, 88 00:03:39,150 --> 00:03:42,599 and it's as misplaced and it's as fictitious. 89 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,679 This is the plague of ADHD. [crowd murmurs] 90 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:50,789 Now, this is a map of the incidence of ADHD in America, 91 00:03:50,790 --> 00:03:53,939 or prescriptions for ADHD. 92 00:03:53,940 --> 00:03:57,779 Don't mistake me, I don't mean to say there is no such thing 93 00:03:57,780 --> 00:03:59,819 as Attention Deficit Disorder. 94 00:03:59,820 --> 00:04:02,189 I'm not qualified to say if there is such a thing. 95 00:04:02,190 --> 00:04:04,289 I know that a great majority of psychologists 96 00:04:04,290 --> 00:04:07,079 and pediatrician think there is such a thing. 97 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:11,099 But it's still a matter of debate. 98 00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:15,299 What I do know for a fact is it's not an epidemic. 99 00:04:15,300 --> 00:04:18,088 These kids are being medicated 100 00:04:18,089 --> 00:04:20,909 as routinely as we had our tonsils taken out, 101 00:04:20,910 --> 00:04:23,339 and on the same whimsical basis, 102 00:04:23,340 --> 00:04:26,939 and for the same reason, medical fashion. 103 00:04:26,940 --> 00:04:30,539 Our children are living in the most intensely stimulating period 104 00:04:30,540 --> 00:04:33,659 in the history of the Earth. 105 00:04:33,660 --> 00:04:36,089 They're being besieged with information, 106 00:04:36,090 --> 00:04:38,939 and caught their attention from every platform: 107 00:04:38,940 --> 00:04:42,629 computers, from iPhones, from advertising hoardings, 108 00:04:42,630 --> 00:04:44,939 from hundreds of television channels. 109 00:04:44,940 --> 00:04:46,469 And we're penalizing them now 110 00:04:46,470 --> 00:04:48,659 for getting distracted. 111 00:04:48,660 --> 00:04:51,989 From what? You know, boring stuff. 112 00:04:51,990 --> 00:04:54,509 At school for the most part. 113 00:04:54,510 --> 00:04:56,549 It seems to me it's not a coincidence, totally, 114 00:04:56,550 --> 00:04:57,659 that the incidence of ADHD 115 00:04:57,660 --> 00:05:01,409 has written in parallel with the growth of standardized testing. 116 00:05:01,410 --> 00:05:04,018 These kids are being given Ritalin, and Adderall, 117 00:05:04,019 --> 00:05:07,159 and all manner of things-- often quite dangerous drugs-- 118 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,229 to get them focused and calm them down. 119 00:05:10,230 --> 00:05:12,869 But according to this, Attention Deficit Disorder 120 00:05:12,870 --> 00:05:15,929 increases as you travel east across the country. 121 00:05:15,930 --> 00:05:24,749 People start losing interest in Oklahoma. [audience erupts in laughter] 122 00:05:24,750 --> 00:05:27,899 They can hardly think straight in Arkansas. 123 00:05:27,900 --> 00:05:29,129 And by the time they get to Washington, 124 00:05:29,130 --> 00:05:31,469 they've lost it completely. 125 00:05:31,470 --> 00:05:35,909 And there are separate reasons for that, I believe. [laughs] 126 00:05:35,910 --> 00:05:38,579 It's a fictitious epidemic. 127 00:05:38,580 --> 00:05:41,129 If you think of it, the arts. 128 00:05:41,130 --> 00:05:42,989 And I don't say this exclusively the arts, 129 00:05:42,990 --> 00:05:45,179 I think it's also true of science and of maths. 130 00:05:45,180 --> 00:05:47,279 But let me-- I say about the arts, particularly, 131 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:50,609 because they are the victims of this mentality currently, 132 00:05:50,610 --> 00:05:52,499 particularly. 133 00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:56,429 The arts, especially address the idea of 134 00:05:56,430 --> 00:05:59,069 aesthetic experience. 135 00:05:59,070 --> 00:06:01,649 An aesthetic experience is one in which your senses 136 00:06:01,650 --> 00:06:03,509 are operating at their peak, 137 00:06:03,510 --> 00:06:05,639 when you're present in the current moment, 138 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,309 when you're resonating with the excitement of this thing 139 00:06:08,310 --> 00:06:09,989 that you're experiencing, 140 00:06:09,990 --> 00:06:12,449 when you are fully alive. 141 00:06:12,450 --> 00:06:16,319 An anaesthetic is when you shut your senses off, 142 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,259 and deaden yourself to what's happening. 143 00:06:19,260 --> 00:06:22,109 And a lot of these drugs are that. 144 00:06:22,110 --> 00:06:26,159 We're getting our children through education by anaesthetizing them. 145 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:27,599 And I think we should be doing the exact opposite. 146 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,269 We shouldn't be putting them asleep, we should be waking them up 147 00:06:30,270 --> 00:06:32,439 to what they have inside of themselves. 148 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:34,079 But the model we have is this. 149 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:36,369 It's, I believe, we have a system of education 150 00:06:36,370 --> 00:06:39,039 that is modeled on 151 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,769 the interests of industrialism 152 00:06:41,770 --> 00:06:43,509 and in the image of it. 153 00:06:43,510 --> 00:06:45,609 I'll give you a couple of examples. 154 00:06:45,610 --> 00:06:48,369 Schools are still pretty much organized on factory lines: 155 00:06:48,370 --> 00:06:51,069 ringing bells, separate facilities, 156 00:06:51,070 --> 00:06:54,219 specialized into separate subjects. 157 00:06:54,220 --> 00:06:57,129 We still educate children by batches. 158 00:06:57,130 --> 00:07:00,109 You know, we put them through the system by age group. 159 00:07:00,110 --> 00:07:03,589 Why do we do that? You know, why is there this assumption 160 00:07:03,590 --> 00:07:05,509 that the most important thing kids have in common 161 00:07:05,510 --> 00:07:07,609 is how old they are? 162 00:07:07,610 --> 00:07:09,079 You know, it's like the most important thing about them 163 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,039 is their date of manufacture. 164 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,019 Well, I know kids who are much better than other kids 165 00:07:14,020 --> 00:07:16,509 at the same age in different disciplines, 166 00:07:16,510 --> 00:07:18,459 or at different times of the day, 167 00:07:18,460 --> 00:07:20,439 or better in smaller groups than in large groups. 168 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:22,329 Or sometimes they want to be on their own. 169 00:07:22,330 --> 00:07:23,769 If you're interested in a model of learning, 170 00:07:23,770 --> 00:07:26,379 you don't start from this production line mentality. 171 00:07:26,380 --> 00:07:28,419 These-- it's essentially about conformity, 172 00:07:28,420 --> 00:07:30,279 and increasingly it's about that as you look at the growth 173 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,489 of standardized testing and standardized curricula. 174 00:07:33,490 --> 00:07:35,469 And it's about standardization. 175 00:07:35,470 --> 00:07:37,809 I believe we've got to go in the exact opposite direction. 176 00:07:37,810 --> 00:07:40,239 That's what I mean about changing the paradigm. 177 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:41,709 There was a great study done recently 178 00:07:41,710 --> 00:07:45,639 of divergent thinking, published a couple of years ago. 179 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:49,389 Divergent thinking isn't the same thing as creativity. 180 00:07:49,390 --> 00:07:52,659 I define creativity as the process of having original ideas 181 00:07:52,660 --> 00:07:54,519 that have value. 182 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,219 Divergent thinking isn't a synonym, 183 00:07:57,220 --> 00:08:02,079 but it's an essential capacity for creativity. 184 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:06,039 It's the ability to see lots of possible answers to a question; 185 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,919 lots of possible ways of interpreting a question; 186 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:12,459 to think, whatever De Bono would probably call, laterally; 187 00:08:12,460 --> 00:08:17,169 to think not just in linear or convergent ways; 188 00:08:17,170 --> 00:08:19,599 to see multiple answers, not one. 189 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:20,709 So, I mean, there's tests for this. 190 00:08:20,710 --> 00:08:22,419 I mean, one kind of common example would be, 191 00:08:22,420 --> 00:08:23,959 people might be asked to say, 192 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:28,159 how many uses can you think of for a paperclip? 193 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:29,419 All those routine questions, 194 00:08:29,420 --> 00:08:31,729 most people might come up with 10 or 15. 195 00:08:31,730 --> 00:08:34,609 People who are good at this might come up with 200. 196 00:08:34,610 --> 00:08:36,049 And they do that by saying, well, 197 00:08:36,050 --> 00:08:37,579 could the paperclip be 200 foot tall 198 00:08:37,580 --> 00:08:39,199 and be made out of foam and rubber? 199 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:40,999 You know, like does it have to be a paperclip as we know it, Jim? 200 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,219 You know. 201 00:08:43,220 --> 00:08:46,309 Now, there are tests for this, and they gave them to 1500 people 202 00:08:46,310 --> 00:08:49,069 in a book called "Breakpoint and Beyond". 203 00:08:49,070 --> 00:08:50,329 And on the protocol of the test, 204 00:08:50,330 --> 00:08:53,029 if you scored above a certain level, 205 00:08:53,030 --> 00:08:56,359 you'd be considered to be a genius at divergent thinking. 206 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,639 Okay, so my question to you is 207 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:01,669 what percentage of the people tested 208 00:09:01,670 --> 00:09:03,229 of the 1500 209 00:09:03,230 --> 00:09:06,259 scored at genius level for divergent thinking? 210 00:09:06,260 --> 00:09:08,299 Now, you need to know one more thing about them. 211 00:09:08,300 --> 00:09:08,999 These were kindergarten children. 212 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:14,399 So, what do you think, what percentage at genius level? 213 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:15,029 -(audience member) 80%. 214 00:09:15,030 --> 00:09:17,249 -(Ken) 80? You think 80, okay. 215 00:09:17,250 --> 00:09:21,509 98% Now, the thing about this was it was a longitudinal study. 216 00:09:21,510 --> 00:09:24,089 So, they retested the same children 217 00:09:24,090 --> 00:09:26,699 five years later, age of 8 to 10. 218 00:09:26,700 --> 00:09:29,519 What do you think? 50? 219 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:32,369 They retested them again, five years later, 220 00:09:32,370 --> 00:09:35,369 ages 13 to 15. 221 00:09:35,370 --> 00:09:39,299 You can see a trend here, can't you? 222 00:09:39,300 --> 00:09:43,199 Now, this tells an interesting story 223 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:44,219 because you could have imagined it 224 00:09:44,220 --> 00:09:46,829 going the other way, could you? 225 00:09:46,830 --> 00:09:48,269 You start off not being very good, 226 00:09:48,270 --> 00:09:49,889 but you get better as you get older. 227 00:09:49,890 --> 00:09:50,999 But this shows two things: 228 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,539 one is we all have this capacity, 229 00:09:54,540 --> 00:09:57,209 and two, it mostly deteriorates. 230 00:09:57,210 --> 00:09:58,649 Now, a lot of things have happened to these kids 231 00:09:58,650 --> 00:10:01,229 as they've grown up, a lot. 232 00:10:01,230 --> 00:10:02,789 But one of the most important things that happend to them, 233 00:10:02,790 --> 00:10:06,479 I am convinced, is the by now they have become educated. 234 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,179 They've spent 10 years at school being told there's one answer, 235 00:10:09,180 --> 00:10:10,769 it's at the back 236 00:10:10,770 --> 00:10:13,139 and don't look 237 00:10:13,140 --> 00:10:16,229 and don't copy because that's cheating. 238 00:10:16,230 --> 00:10:18,809 When outside schools, that's called collaboration. [audience chuckles] 239 00:10:18,810 --> 00:10:21,029 Not inside schools. 240 00:10:21,030 --> 00:10:23,279 This isn't because teachers want it this way, 241 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,549 it's just because it happens that way. 242 00:10:26,550 --> 00:10:29,969 It's because it's in the gene pool of education. 243 00:10:29,970 --> 00:10:32,459 We have to think differently about human capacity, 244 00:10:32,460 --> 00:10:34,679 we have to get over this old conception 245 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:37,259 of academic, non-academic, 246 00:10:37,260 --> 00:10:40,379 abstract, theoretical, vocational, 247 00:10:40,380 --> 00:10:42,869 and see it for what it is 248 00:10:42,870 --> 00:10:44,579 a myth. 249 00:10:44,580 --> 00:10:46,709 Secondly, we have to recognize that most great learning 250 00:10:46,710 --> 00:10:50,749 happens in groups, that collaboration is the stuff of growth. 251 00:10:50,750 --> 00:10:52,639 If we atomized people, and separate them, 252 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:54,199 and judge them separately, 253 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:58,069 we form a kind of disjunction between them 254 00:10:58,070 --> 00:11:00,019 and their natural learning environment. 255 00:11:00,020 --> 00:11:02,779 And thirdly, it's crucially about the culture 256 00:11:02,780 --> 00:11:05,419 of our institutions, the habits of institution 257 00:11:05,420 --> 00:11:07,340 and the habitats that they occupy.