Education leaders call for emphasis on creativity and analytical thinking

Global summit examines steps to unlock young people's potential and prepare them for working life

Children in Britain could have their school day extended, as well as lessons in summer, under new government plans for education. Getty

Leading figures in global education have called for a departure from the current curriculum towards a greater emphasis on creativity in teaching.

Participants of the Goals House January Dialogues event on Tuesday discussed measures to unlock the potential of young learners and the future of educational practices.

During the virtual event, Andria Zafirakou, winner of the 2018 Global Teacher Prize, stressed the importance of creativity in education. She said it was a crucial element in preparing young people for their future working lives.

"At the moment we're teaching knowledge, knowledge, knowledge. What we need to focus on is what our young people need,” she told the summit. "We need to think about 'what I need to have as an individual'. Am I able to challenge myself, am I resilient enough?

Andria Zafirakou won the 2018 Global Teacher Prize during an event in Dubai. The National.

"So much more emphasis needs to be on what we are teaching, and I’m such an advocate for creativity in teaching. Everything should come from the arts and creative individuality. We need to be teaching people the importance of creativity."

Zafirakou, who was made an MBE for her work in education in north London, said a broader view of attitude and knowledge was crucial. “If young people have access to support they will succeed,” she said.

Lord Dr Hastings of Scarisbrick, Chancellor for Regent’s University, said there must be a departure from traditional topics to those more applicable in the modern world.

"We need a big shift in thinking," he said. "What we really need for the future is analytical thinking." He recalled a conversation in which someone said they wished they had learned skills in dealing with mental health, mindfulness and personal finance, rather than traditional subjects. This exposes that much of the education curriculum is not fit for purpose, he said.

Lord Scarisbrick said that a World Economic Forum survey of people from 25 countries found that many felt insecure about their jobs in the future, however, seven in 10 people were hopeful of retraining successfully given the right assistance.

He was participating in the Goals House session titled 'Quality Education: Creating a world where everyone can realise their potential'.

The speakers included Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, who made a moving speech about her journey from homeless teenager to chief fire officer at West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service.

She said that more must be done to ensure every young person is given a chance.

“Your circumstances don’t determine you,” she told the summit. Growing up for me was really hard. By the time I was 15, I was sleeping rough. I’ve been punched and kicked, I would eat out of bins and people would look at me with disgust.

“The idea that you are defined by your background is something I have battled through my whole career. You have to be able to fail repeatedly. If you have a passion, do it anyway.”

The Goals House January Dialogues 2021 summit runs from January 19-21.