On Creativity

The most important contribution that a teacher can make towards the creative development of a child is to provide him the security and freedom to explore, create and make mistakes. However, more often than not, this is not happening in most of our classrooms.

More typically, a child becomes "self-conscious" of what is "supposed" to be done due to conditioning signified by certain kind of forces, rules and orders that are generally indicated to it by subtle and implicit rewards, such as praise and approval or vice-versa, criticisms and punishments and the needs to conform.

Most education make use of rewards and punishments as key motivating factors. However, this conception will cause a tremendous barrier to creativity. Education has traditionally given great value to fixed knowledge and techniques and the authority of the teacher as a source of knowledge and truth is not to be questioned. However, this is no more true in the age of ICT and advanced technological innovation where computers, mobile phones, social media, software agents—has not only created new opportunities for learners but also altered much of the way they acquire knowledge. Education system that place excessive stress on academic knowledge and compartmentalised courses do not help to convey the idea of innovation, which inhibits entrepreneurship.

Finally, who is to be blamed when a child lives in a dark world called classroom where conformity is beauty and creativity is ugly?