Won't somebody please think of the children?

The way kids are now taught in school has become much more important to me in recent years. I have 2 children, one of whom is now in school, with the other due to join her in a year or so. And in response to this I chose to become a school governor.

To be honest, I think we're very lucky at this particular school. We have an outstanding head teacher who understands the value of a balanced education. But then again, the entire system seems to be geared towards creating individuals with required levels of academic achievement. Fine. Probably a good thing even.

The thing is, with the pressure of Key Stage exams and Value Added scores, and all the other measures that are applied to their performance, the teachers are inevitably deprioritising ways of encouraging creative thinking and problem solving in the kids. There's a general perception that there's a "right way" to get to the answer. A "right way" to be successful in life. And actually, at least from my experiences, that just isn't true. There is, as the old saying goes, more than one way to skin a cat (although who found this out, I'm not sure).

Play is one of those areas that helps creativity. Sport is another. Exploring the world around you is incredibly important. And it's so hard to do sat at a desk or in front of a TV or computer. For sure there are many skills that a student needs to acquire in life, but is one of the most important ones a sense of curiosity?