Dear editor,

I noted with interest the article in the Oct. 18th edition regarding a presentation on alternative education models that will take place later this month.

RELATED: Presentation on alternative schooling coming to Courtenay

In particular, the 2006 TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson, 鈥淒o Schools Kill Creativity鈥� was mentioned. Not too long after Robinson鈥檚 TED talk, I wrote an essay critiquing it that nearly 20 years later still attracts letters from educators and others who questioned Robinson鈥檚 ideas. In fact, Robinson鈥檚 TED talk was a long and fact-free diatribe and string of insults aimed at teachers. The very last people, in Robinson鈥檚 view, that you鈥檇 want to be seated next to at a dinner party. Yes, he actually said that as part of his talk.

I urge parents and educators to be very skeptical of Robinson and his ilk. About every five years, some new education guru comes along and the education system spends millions of taxpayer dollars 鈥渞eforming鈥� the curriculum. We can always improve, of course, but bashing teachers isn鈥檛 the way to go about it. And that鈥檚 what Robinson鈥檚 TED talk is all about.

Robinson鈥檚 theses are that:

Children are all incredibly talented and creative. (Is every adult you know 鈥渋ncredibly talented鈥�? Then why would anyone think that their children are?)

Creativity and innovation alone are the key to the future; knowledge won鈥檛 suffice and isn鈥檛 even necessary. Acquiring knowledge is therefore a waste of time. (as are, apparently, diligence and a good work ethic)

Being creative and innovative requires risk-taking. (Yes. So?)

Schools stigmatize 鈥渨rong鈥� answers, thereby stifling creativity and innovation in favour of regimentation that frowns on risk-taking behaviour. In essence, the education system 鈥渆ducates the creativity out of鈥� students. (Simply false. In disciplines like math and science, where there ARE wrong answers, we have to tell the students that. It doesn鈥檛 鈥渟tifle鈥� their creativity.)

Therefore, the traditional education system or model is completely wrong and has to be changed to eliminate these problems. (Again, simply false.)

Robinson offers no evidence for any of this. Instead, he relies on insulting educators, impugning their motives and shamelessly pandering to his audience鈥檚 prejudices. I urge anyone who was considering this alternative schooling method to first look up and watch Robinson鈥檚 TED talk and then read my detailed critique here:

Scott Goodman,

Courtenay