There isn’t an education system on the planet that teaches dance everyday to children the way we teach them mathematics. Why?
Ken RobinsonRead
The dropout crisis is just the tip of an iceberg. What it doesn't count are all the kids who are in school but being disengaged from it, who don't enjoy it, who don't get any real benefit from it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the deeper issue of student disengagement in education beyond just dropout rates.
Ken Robinson's quote emphasizes that the issue of student dropouts is merely a superficial indicator of a larger problem within the education system. Many students may remain in school but are not actively engaged or deriving any meaningful benefits from their education, which points to a fundamental need for reform to foster a more engaging and beneficial learning environment.
Themes
EducationDisengagementStudentsLearningBenefit
In practice
Example use cases
During a school board meeting, this quote can be used to advocate for improved engagement strategies.
More from Ken Robinson
All quotes →Creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.
Ken RobinsonRead
When my son, James, was doing homework for school, he would have five or six windows open on his computer, Instant Messenger was flashing continuously, his cell phone was constantly ringing, and he was downloading music and watching the TV over his shoulder. I don’t know if he was doing any homework, but he was running an empire as far as I could see, so I didn’t really care.
Ken RobinsonRead
Creativity is the greatest gift of human intelligence.
Ken RobinsonRead
Teaching for creativity aims to encourage self-confidence, independence of mind, and the capacity to think for oneself.
Ken RobinsonRead
Helping people to connect with their personal creative capacities is the surest way to release the best they have to offer.
Ken RobinsonRead
Similar quotes
If the education and studies of children were suited to their inclinations and capacities, many would be made useful members of society that otherwise would make no figure in it.
Samuel RichardsonRead
Your teaching must have the integrity of serious, sound words to which no one can take exception. If it does, no opponent will be able to find anything bad to say about us, and hostility will yield to shame.
Paul The ApostleRead
Educated women armed with computers have defeated extremists by denying them a monopoly to define cultural identity and interpret religious texts. No extremist can say that women are inferior to men without being made a laughingstock on Al Jazeera. Islam insisted on equality between everyone.
Fatema MernissiRead
Books transmit values. They explore our common humanity. What is the message when some children are not represented in those books?
Walter Dean MyersRead
Every single minute matters, every single child matters, every single childhood matters.
Kailash SatyarthiRead
Boosting education will be a direct counterbalance to Boko Haram's appeal. In particular we must educate more young girls, ensuring they will grow up to be empowered through learning to play their full part as citizens of Nigeria and pull themselves up and out of poverty.
Muhammadu BuhariRead