Is the Current School System Breaking Down Creativity in Young Entrepreneurs?

Do you ever wonder if the current school system is breaking down the potential of young entrepreneurs? Many argue that schools are failing to foster creativity and innovation. However, is the school system so broken as it often seems, or is it designed to standardize and suppress creativity?

Standardizing the Population

It is often assumed that schools are merely well-intended systems designed to impart knowledge and stimulate the intelligence of students, preparing them to serve as informed and independent citizens. This perspective, however, is a mischaracterization of the true purpose of public education.

H. L. Mencken, the renowned American journalist, once observed:

“The most erroneous assumption is to the effect that the aim of public education is to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence and so make them fit to discharge the duties of citizenship in an enlightened and independent manner. Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level to breed and train a standardized citizenry to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States whatever the pretensions of politicians pedagogues and other such mountebanks and that is its aim everywhere else.”

Mencken’s observation has stood the test of time. The process of standardizing the population continued long after his passing in 1956 and was implemented decades earlier. Logically, the school system has been a remarkable success in achieving its standardized purpose.

The modern school system effectively deindividualizes students, reducing them to fit a predetermined mold. This standardization suppresses originality and creativity, which are often seen as nonconformity by institutions designed to avoid such traits.

Reevaluating the System

Sometimes, to understand a topic more clearly, it is helpful to look at it from a different angle. Consider the system inside out, upside down, and backwards. This approach may help clarify the true intentions behind the school system.

People often respond to the success of the school system with disappointment, questioning its effectiveness in fostering creativity and individuality. However, this perspective might be misguided. The system has always served a specific purpose: to standardize and conform students to fit a specific role within society.

Reflections from Paul Simon's Kodachrome

Paul Simon’s lyrics in his song "Kodachrome" offer an interesting perspective. The song highlights the limitations of standardization and the value of individual imagination. In the first verse, Simon reflects on the knowledge he learned in high school:

“When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school / It’s a wonder I can think at all / And though my lack of education / Hasn’t hurt me none / I can read the writing on the wall.”

Simon’s lyrics suggest a world where standardized education simplifies and simplifies everything, reducing the rich diversity of human experience to a uniform, monotonous vision. The chorus reinforces this idea, with the contrast between the vivid, colorful world and the black and white reality of standardized education:

“Kodachrome / They give us those nice bright colors / They give us the greens of summers / Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day Oh yeah / I got a Nikon camera / I love to take a photograph / So mama don’t take my Kodachrome away”

For Simon, the camera represents the power of individual creativity and imagination, highlighting the limitations of standardized education. The machine, in this context, is a tool for self-expression and individuality.

Conclusion

Is the current school system broken? The answer may depend on your perspective. While it may suppress creativity and individuality, it has undoubtedly been successful in fulfilling the standardized role it was designed to play. Revisiting Mencken's insights and reflecting on lyrics like "Kodachrome" can help us understand the complexity and effectiveness of the school system in shaping standard citizens.