Sir Ken Robinson’s video of Changing Education Paradigms creatively reflects on the issues in the current education system. A system which he describes as being ‘industrial’, cleverly highlighting the painful likenesses an industry has to our education system. He captures the image of the production line mentality, segregating children because of their age, gender or subject choice. He humorously states that the most important thing about our children is their manufacture date, conveying the understanding that they do not all learn at the same rate despite the fact that this is how they are treated.
He furthermore states the current epidemic of ADHD is in fact a fictitious one, only known to deaden the creativity children hold. In this era of advanced technology which stimulates the minds of children, the education system still insists upon reprimanding them for being distracted and bored in class. The high dispersal of this medication aims for children to be calm and relaxed but instead gets children through education by ‘anaesthetising’ them. Robinson then states that we need to wake children up to what they have inside of them. Children need to be stimulated and given the best opportunity for great learning to occur and not judge them against a particular view of the mind.
