School systems killing creativity

When people say that school systems are killing creativity and freedom of expression among children I cannot help but reflect on my early years and, in doing so, reminding myself just how much I actually benefited from the systems we had. I believe that a system is vital in ensuring that the “sheep” are continuously “rounded up” and “brought back in line” in order to give everyone a fairer and more even shot at being an adult and truly releasing and growing the inherent creativity that has been screaming to get out. Without a system in place, the disparity between the jocks and the nerds, the arty-farty and the athletes, will be even greater than ever and this in turn will force those that are not at the front of the race or top of the pile to become reclusive and withdrawn. Once you train yourself to shy away, it is exceptionally difficult to unlearn this tactic. Not only will this be a greater inhibiting factor for, and threat to all creativity than current school systems, but it will also prevent a greater group of graduates realising their true potential and believing that there are opportunities available to them in the big bad world, and that they are not only earmarked for the main characters at school. While I might be a supreme under-achiever in life, one thing is certain – I was given many opportunities to create and recreate myself in school, whether it be from changing schools or changing standards (grades) and while I definitely did not use them the first couple of times, I did eventually towards the end of my schooling. I used the “rounding up” not to become a jock or head of the class, but rather to feel like I was firmly settled in the group that would become school leavers of my year. School leavers released from a system, school leavers who would individually go out there to find themselves, create the adults they wanted to be, live the lives they had imagined, and ultimately change the world for the better, forever.