Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity

Before you watch the video, try to answer the following questions.

1. What are the most important subjects at school? 
2. What is literacy? 
3. What is the purpose of education? 
4. What is intelligence? 
5. What is the meaning of MA, BA, PhD, ADHD? 

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Sir Ken Robinson says that there have been 3 themes running through the conference. Which ones are they? 
2. What are the two topics Robinson wants to talk about? 
3. What are the three gifts the kings bring to baby Jesus? 
4. According to Robinson, every education system in the world has the same hierarchy of subjects. Which subjects are at the top and which subjects are at the bottom? 
5. What’s the hierarchy of subjects within the arts? 
6. What are the three things Robinson says we know about intelligence? 
7. What are women better at than men, according to Robinson?  

QUESTIONS FOR DEBATE

1. Robinson says “If you think of it, children starting school this year will be retiring in 2065. Nobody has a clue—despite all the expertise that’s been on parade for the past four days—what the world will look like in five years’ time. And yet we’re meant to be educating them for it.” How can education prepare children for the future? 
2. Robinson says “My contention is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.” Do you agree? Why?/Why not? 
3. Robinson argues that “if you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” Can you illustrate Robinson’s opinión with an example? 
4. According to Robinson, “the whole purpose of public education throughout the world is to produce university professors.” Do you agree? What should the purpose of public education be? 
5. Robinson says that “Suddenly, degrees aren’t worth anything. Isn’t that true? When I was a student, if you had a degree, you had a job. If you didn’t have a job it’s because you didn’t want one. . . . But now kids with degrees are often heading home to carry on playing video games, because you need an MA where the previous job required a BA, and now you need a PhD for the other.” Is this true in Spain?

Transcript - Ken Robinson Says Schools Kill Creativity

Leaving school at 15 - what about brain development?

Before you watch the video, discuss the following questions:

1. What is better for a 15-year-old, to continue studying at school, or to move on to find a job? 
2. What is an unskilled job? 
3. What can people do to develop their brains? 

Watch the video and answer the questions below:




COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. According to Dr. Martha Burns, why is school very good for the brain? 
2. Why does Burns say that at this particular moment finding a job is not a good stimulus for the brain of an adolescent? 
3. What are the examples that Burns gives of unskilled jobs? 
4. What, according to Burns, are good alternatives for teenagers leaving school? 
5. What are the two things, according to Burns, that brains benefit from? 

QUESTIONS FOR DEBATE

1. Do you agree with Dr Burns? 
2. What is a good alternative to school, in your opinion? Do you think teenagers should finish compulsory education before leaving school? Why/Why not?

TRANSCRIPT - Leaving School at 15