I watched an engaging and funny talk today given by Ken Robinson at TED 4 years ago.

In it he talks of how the inherent creativity in young people is curbed by education systems worldwide that put academic subjects like maths and science ahead of the arts and vocations. He describes how the school system we know today came about in the 19th century to provide useful, productive workers for the industrialism at the time (you can watch the talk here).

And things haven’t changed. I was out recently with a group of friends who are secondary school teachers. They talked about how important it was to enforce rules regarding the school uniform because it prepared the students for the office place uniform of the shirt and tie. Which is a worrying thought for 2 reasons.

1. If school is to prepare young people for the workplace, why is it that taxpayers fund schools and not the large employers that students are being prepared for?
2. What kind of workplaces are students being primed for that make the mindless, rote learning which dominates education, a good preparation?

Well perhaps the Young Explorer answers that. Boy oh boy you can start deflating your child’s optimism for a cheery future early with this toy. A cubicle bound desk-jockey my son, that’s what your schooling will train you for.

The Young Explorer manages to make the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Food Cart look aspirational.