Often children and older students are directed towards knowledge and skills based learning in an effort to bolster what is termed real life chances. So, in picking GCSE options students are most likely to be driven away from their own personal ambitions and aspirations. Often students are sold the solidity of qualifications in subjects like Informational Technology, Geography, Computer Science or Design and Technology. This is then reinforced by the persistent reminders of achieving high level outcomes in English, Maths and Science, which contributes to a higher Progress and Attainment 8 weighting than other subjects, as they hold a key significance in the measurement of school performance. So, ‘each qualification a child takes equates to a number of points’ (School performance measures explained - Staffordshire County Council, 2021) creating a hierarchy based on priority. Admittedly, in subjects such as, Design and Technology there are opportunities for creative expression, but these become often limited to the skills required and the research coursework that dominates the weighting of the programme. English also has its corner of creativity regarding the answering of a narrative or descriptive question but is this truly enough to shape well rounded and expressive individual adults? And most alarmingly, is data and statistics taking precedent over the development of young people? This data driven pressure not only impacts upon the mental health and wellbeing of students but also the professionals who are being required to teach to the assessment. This arguably does have some benefit, as it enables students to remain focused on specific outcomes, but with this absence of hinterland and creative strategies, teachers are forced to abandon creative learning opportunities and enforce learning strategies that do not foster the love of the learning. An aspiration, that they originally set out to achieve when studying to qualify as a classroom teacher. Creativity in itself is multidisciplinary, encourages students to be inventive and enables students to better navigate problems through the use of initiative. ‘An integral part of the human condition involves learning who we are’ (The Significant Benefits of Creativity in The Classroom, 2021) and in two dimensional curriculum roll outs, this is a key aspect that is often papered over and unfortunately does not play a huge part in the education of young people. It is so important, in a world that often becomes dominated by narrowed views upon aspirations to become writers, musicians and painters, that we enable people to learn in a variety of ways. People who go on to discover themselves through music, writing and art often identify themselves by those words whether or not they earn a living by it. So where is the negative impact and why is it so absent in what is arguably an outdated educational curriculum? Adding elements of creativity to teaching curriculum and assessment for students would enable students to discover themselves through a wide medium of outlets, enabling them to become problem solvers and adept at navigating the technical processes between ideas and finished products. It is now, that the education industry must identify the benefits of creativity and discover new ways in which this can be implemented into the day to day learning culture, to create expressive and critical thinkers.

I agree. I believe creativity should be integrated in every school subject, since it enhances learning, initiative, focus, critical thinking, knowledge. Many people necessarily associate creativity with the arts, but this is not really the case: creativity should be applied to all learning and should not be separated from 'real knowledge'. In my view, creativity is knowledge as it triggers the student's active thinking and participation in the learning process, which is how knowledge is fundamentally acquired. Creativity gives people the ability to create, and the GCSE system / general education system in the UK and around the world should make creativity an integral factor for achievement and motivation. Creativity re-directs the mind to new and innovative ideas, which is what should drive society and the economy.