It’s
funny really. Whenever I broach this question with school heads or school
education strategists; and especially with on the ground teachers and parent
guilds; the retort or initial question they ask is ‘What sort of Innovation?’ And often with a strained look on their
face.
I
usually answer such innocent retorts with a provocation: ‘Innovation!’
Again,
the torn look usually turns into a sarcastic smile, with another retort: ‘There’s loads of kinds of innovation going on. What kind?’
And
I say again ‘Innovation!’
And
this is me not trying to be awkward, but frank.
Basically
Innovation is a discipline in its own right.
Just as Science is. Just as English is. Just as ICT is. Just Mathematics is. But
like any of these subject, it has core-disciplines which are structured and can
be taught as a subject.
Take
Biology at Junior high school level. It is very general describing the
foundation principles. Now jump forward to senior high school and then the
differentiated subjects emerges: Cellular Function and Structure, DNA/RNA, Homeostasis, Plant/Animal Characteristics, Genes and
Successive Generations Heredity models, Ecosystems, Biological Evolution. A good basic content to make up a clear subject.
And
so it is with Innovation. It has fundamental principles and it has advanced principles
that can be taught at different levels and stages.
It is just that most teachers (and I mean most) don’t have a clue about what I am
talking about. Because to most, the term Innovation
is either some esoteric subject for men in white coats or a superficial issue
that is applied in the likes of graphic or fashion design. But for most, it is not
a subject in its own right and therefore cannot be taught.
And
so ontology: that is, often people are so oblivious and blind to a subject or
issue concerning them, that they are just totally unaware of how important it
is! In other words: not only do they not know that they don’t know! It is that
they don’t know that they don’t know that they don’t know!! A classic
teleological system!
And
that is the whole key to the problem of answering the question: ‘Should
Innovation be a compulsory subject in schools?’
Get
the adult public at-large to understand the foundation principles and its
significance in today’s world, and the discipline of Innovation as school subject may just well get on the education and
ministerial agenda.
In view of this,
The Business Panel on Future EU Innovation Policy, part of the EU Innovation
Policy Unit, said in their 2012 document: Reinventing
Europe Through Innovation:
‘Europe
is running the danger of becoming more risk-averse at exactly the moment when
[the EU] needs to be more innovative, more experimental, more daring.
Reinventing Europe means moving from a knowledge society to an innovation
society....
....Current
European innovation policy fails to change
people’s mentality. NOT innovating is dangerous. This could include making the teaching of innovation compulsory….
Whether people dare to participate in innovation or not has a lot to do with
culture and the way the social environment reacts. Will innovative behaviour be
ridiculed or admired....’
So ‘Should Innovation be a compulsory subject in
schools?’
