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We educate a child gradually from the waist up and then gradually to one side of the brain- the left side, the analytical side.We give immense importance to math and sciences.
Most public education around the world, developed around the industrial revolution. Industry was hiring- anyone with math and sciences because it needed factory workers, and math and sciences was the top need. Also that gave way for a uniform clothing, working to the sound of a bell, punctuality- because of task interdependence, repetitive tasks etc etc. We were training factory workers!!
It’s been over 200 years since industrialism. The way we do business has changed. What we as industry need is different.
Innovation during industrialism was linked to sciences and math. We ran our factories back then stigmatizing mistakes, as that would escalate wastage, therefore we ran our education systems stigmatizing mistakes. WE STILL DO!
The most important job functions as well as highest paying, industry needs in the next 7 yrs do not exist today. The way business is going to unfold over the next 10 yrs around the world, NO person can predict. Our kids in school now will work for the next 50 yrs yet nobody knows what 5 yrs from now will be. Change is the only thing, which is sure. How do we deal with preparing them for life? The only thing you can predict is that change will take place. Change will take place faster and in faster cycles.
The only constant is change.
If this is the case, our kids need to learn, unlearn and re-learn to be relevant, as business cycles get shorter. The most important in that case is not math and sciences but the ability to INNOVATE. Innovation can no longer be linked to math and sciences although math and sciences are important, very important but not the most important anymore. The ability to INNOVATE is now the most important, with math and sciences second.
Innovation is a function of the right brain. The right brain is best trained through art, music, dance, writing. Yet in any school system we place it at the bottom of the pile.
A purely scientific education tends to make thought keen and clear sighted within certain limits, but narrow, hard and cold. Even in his own sphere the man without any training of the right brain can only progress in a settled groove; he cannot broaden the base of human culture or enlarge the bounds of science.
This is one of the largest reasons kids have muted emotional sides, and seek solace in violence and video games etc. Coz we are gradually conditioning them into a highly single sided education. Over 200 years, man evolves into that!
Unfortunately, we look at art and any creative pursuits as mere refinements, luxuries of the rich and leisurely rather than things that are necessary to the mass of men or useful to life.
We have a tendency to depreciate the value of beautiful, and overstress the value of the useful.
I think, its time we at look at the arts and review them more seriously.
By neglecting ARTS (the ability to innovate) we are fighting nature. Sort of like a global warming of education.
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