A child’s imagination is one that is responsible for building the future. But we’re cutting our younger generation’s imagination short when we tell them that their ideas are unrealistic. We teach every kid the same thing, and we teach them to do it the same way. How will we grow and make a lasting impact on our world if every kid in the educational system is learning how to solve the same problems the same way as everyone else?

From a young age we are taught to solve mathematical problems a certain way; we are taught to write in a certain format; and we are taught that there are multiple ways to get a right answer, but there is only one “accepted” way. We are taught to keep opinions and thoughts to ourselves unless they are beneficial to everyone in the room. The educational system converges our thinking into one common thought. 

According to Ideapod, NASA, along with Dr. George Land and Beth Jarman, conducted a test for 4 and 5 year olds that examined their ability to innovate new ideas for problems. Results showed that 98% of the children had very creative imaginations. Ten years later, the same children were tested, and the new results showed that only 30% of the children had creative imaginations. For adults, only about 2% are still in touch with their imaginations.

We see more often that certain classes are being taken away because they aren’t preparing us well for our standardized tests. When we get out into the real world, many of us feel lost and unprepared for our future life. They say we learn in school to prepare us for our futures, but as we have seen, that scenario is unlikely to occur for many of us. 

Based on the Creativity Research Journal, World Economic Forum mentions that even as the IQ of people regularly increases, creativity is continuously decreasing. Just because our educational system makes our learning material harder, this does not mean that creative minds grow. 

I have always wondered why I loved school when I was younger but now find it overwhelming and frustrating. I love a good challenge, so this is not because school got harder. This is because school became repetitive — school used to be about creating and learning, now it seems nothing more than a chore.  

The educational system does not seem like it is willingly trying to foster our imaginations. The structure and teaching styles are formed to favor critical thinking rather than creativity and innovation. Our creativity has been lost throughout these years, yet we are walking into a society that demands more of our imagination.