Do Schools Kill Creativity?

In his TedTalk "Do schools kill creativity?," Ken Robinson emphasizes the importance of education defending, rather than undermining, creativity. He explains that globally, technical courses such as math and sciences, languages, and humanities are more heavily regarded than art courses, speaking about how fundamental arts are to society.

Having attended a predominantly STEM-oriented high school, Sacred Heart Academy, I have experienced this radical difference between the two subject areas firsthand. When I first applied to Sacred Heart, there was a significant emphasis on dance, art, and music capabilities, and all students were required to take a full credit hour of one of these tracks. Throughout my years there, however, more science and technology course were introduced into the school system, allowing for courses such as 3D Design to be an accepted substitute for a drawing or painting course. Sacred Heart still continues to advertise itself as a school with enhanced art programs, but the STEM programs have grown extensively and have gained more attention in recent years, and some of the art programs have gained less.

Although I understand where Robinson is coming from in saying that the education systems need to encourage more creativity, I am also inclined to argue that some of the subjects at the top of the hierarchy do encourage creative thinking, albeit in a less traditional way. As I just stated, my high school recently introduced the 3D Design course, and allows it to be taken rather than a more hands-on form of artistic expression. Nevertheless, I feel that technological courses like 3D Design are higher up in the education hierarchy, yet encourage a similar form of imaginative release.

 Have artistic courses risen or fallen in the academic hierarchy since Robinson's speech in 2006? With the increase of innovative technology, such as smart pens, 3D printing, and art tablets in the past decade, have these courses benefited or suffered? Since I do not have extensive knowledge about worldwide education, Robinson's speech makes me interested in researching more about the current focus of and future expectations for education systems.