An RSA Animate drawn from a Sir Ken Robinson talk arguing that current education systems are modeled on the industrial age. It discusses divergent thinking, standardization, and how schools disengage kids.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN recommends it as an accessible, widely shared critique of schooling, and cites it in threads on ADHD, creativity and education reform.
“One of my favorite videos on reforming education”HN comment, 2013
“One of my favorite videos on reforming education”
Animated Ken Robinson talk on reforming education.
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I have a question for HN. At what point do you become responsible for your own education? Before, you may have not had a public library near you. Nowadays, there is too much information. Curation? Multiple MOOC's have taken the problem and squashed it. Internet Access? I'm not sure, but I remember reading that Comcast gives subsidized rates in poor income areas. Computers / Notebooks? This I'm not sure about at all. What access do people have? Assuming people have access to education, at what point are "educators" defunct? I feel as though I would not have gone to high school had these MOOC's been available. However, I did have enough personal curiosity to pursue these things. In college now, I'm not "spoon fed" anymore, it is my responsibility to do well, and seek out help if I am struggling. I am just curious where people think that line is drawn, and if it's different for everyone or not. I am for the Bar exam - for goodness's sake, we still have teachers trying to teach Creationism! One of my favorite videos on reforming education, from a very logical perspective from Sir Ken Robinson. Bonus: it's pictorially animated! this video
Strongly recommendspcurveMay 2015
“Some of these talks (not just TED) are incredibly inspiring.”
Inspiring talk turned into an RSA Animate.
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Some of these talks (not just TED) are incredibly inspiring. I particularly love the ones that were turned into RSA Animate. this videolink
Strongly recommendscrack-the-codeAug 2016
“I strongly recommend this eye-opening video for those of you who haven't already seen it”
Eye-opening case for rethinking education.
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While I do think that ADHD is a real condition, I don't think that the solution is to medicate children with a very serious life changing drug that alters the core aspects of a child's personality and behavior. The true solution is to revamp our country's education system and provide a framework that can accommodate the wide variety of personalities that come into the classroom. Instead of forcing children to think one way, we should let them think the way they NATURALLY think, and flourish with their native mindset. I strongly recommend this eye-opening video for those of you who haven't already seen it: this video
RecommendsDanielRibeiroApr 2011
“This RSA video shows some reasons why the current education systems (not only US') has the problems it has”
Why current education systems have the problems they do.
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This RSA video shows some reasons why the current education systems (not only US') has the problems it has: this video
RecommendsnadamsSep 2015
“you should just watch this video”
Critique of the education system.
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If anyone is actually surprised by the administrations intelligence - I should remind you of 3 events: - A teacher confiscates Linux CDs claiming that the student was essentially distributing illegal copyrighted software - because no software is free [1] - A system administrator was fired for installing/running seti@home on school computers. There is a lot of controversy about this case - but I read one news article (that I can't find right now) where the administration said they would have been ok with cancer research folding@home rather than searching for aliens with seti@home. This combined with the backpedaling of "oh actually he was a bad employee, stole things, and cost the school millions in extra in electricity costs!" makes me believe that they just wanted to use it as an excuse to fire him and make the position open for a friend/relative. [2]. - Or an honor roll student suspended for buying candy from another student [3]. His statuses were only restored after it caught media attention. I would go into my rant about the education system but you should just watch this video [4] [1] link [2] link [3] link [4] this video
Recommendsprogressive_dadJan 2016
“If you want to help children then you're better off starting here”
Starting point for helping children learn.
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Most education research is about how to evaluate TEACHERS not children. If you want to help children then you're better off starting here: this video
RecommendsLionessLoverMay 2016
“Try this for another explanation/point of view (it's kept short and to the point)”
Short, to-the-point alternative viewpoint.
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An indirect response: Try this for another explanation/point of view (it's kept short and to the point): this video (About the speaker: link
RecommendsbsldldMay 2020
“It diagnose this problem very well.”
Diagnoses how rigid school systems disengage kids.
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Isn't cheating a symptom of the failure in how the education system works? This^ very interesting video of Ken Robinson produced by RSA was recently posted by someone on this forum. It diagnose this problem very well. Trying to put kids in a system that is boxed due to constraints of age, time, subjects and grades is very harmful for the real development of individual kids. Kids understand this and get disengaged from the system but still have to force themselves to follow along because they are not provided with an alternative. ^ this video
RecommendscmehdyMay 2020
“The author might like an illustrated summary of a talk given by Sir Ken Robinson”
Illustrated summary of Robinson's talk including divergent thinking studies.
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The author might like an illustrated summary of a talk given by Sir Ken Robinson about "Changing education paradigms"[0], which includes some of the essence of this article (particularly referring to studies about how many uses one person can think of for a paperclip) [0] RSA Animate: this video [1] Full talk (55 mins): link
RecommendsaustinlJul 2020
“I'd recommend this talk by Sir Ken Robinson on this topic generally”
Ken Robinson on letting kids go deeper at their own pace.
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I wholeheartedly agree, and came out so disillusioned with the public education system that I'm struggling to decide what the right answer will be for my children. I understand that many kids are not this way, but I was the type that read physics textbooks while in elementary school. We had a mentorship program that paired kids with someone from two grades above (e.g. 1st graders with 3rd graders). My reading level was always higher than my mentors' and it made me furious (and probably insufferable). I feel like my entire time in school was spent getting it out of the way so I could study things that genuinely interested me. I would love for my children to not feel that same constraint, but instead feel free to go deeper at their own pace. I'd recommend this talk by Sir Ken Robinson on this topic generally: this video
Cites itrogerbinnsDec 2012
“current education systems are extremely broken and closely modelled on the dawn of the industrial age”
Education systems modelled on the industrial age.
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There are many academic pieces and work on the topic such as link Obviously some of the difference will be soaked up by new professions that didn't exist before. For example here is a list of jobs that didn't exist 10 years ago link I am convinced that prosperity is being driven by trade and specialisation as put forward by Matt Ridley link Specialisation is a form of skill and so the issue is really what happens to unskilled labour. Everyone "knows" that education is a fix, but current education systems are extremely broken and closely modelled on the dawn of the industrial age this video It will be interesting to see if the cost of living goes down since that will also greatly alleviate things. Increased automation should result in that.
Cites itmixedbitFeb 2013
“According to this talk”
Talk claiming ADHD is creative minds bored by dull tasks.
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I'm not sure if this a good recommendation. According to this talk: this video ADHD are normal symptoms that occur when a creative mind has to perform dull tasks. ADHD becomes bigger and bigger problem, because today, there are much more stimulants that cause things like traditional school or work to be boring. According to the speaker, curing ADHD with pills solves the problem by reducing creative potential of a mind. A better approach would be to create an environment where people with ADHD can thrive. (Note, that I don't have any real experience with ADHD, this comment is based only on the talk).
Cites itofficemonkeyAug 2013
“Here's Ken Robinson making speeder's point.”
Ken Robinson on ADHD diagnosis in schools.
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Here's Ken Robinson making speeder's point. this video I was gobsmacked when I saw a teacher "diagnose" ADHD in one of her students. The fact that this is done regularly is flabbergasting.
Cites itjustifierMar 2016
“a delightfully digestible, abridged, version of this talk”
Abridged version of a talk on divergent thinking decline.
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maybe what you are referring to: this video which is a delightfully digestible, abridged, version of this talk: link whose transcript you can find here: link whose figures are drawn from this book: Break Point and Beyond, by George Land relevant bit: So my question to you is what percentage of the people tested of the 1,500 scored at genius level for divergent thinking. Now you need to know one more thing about them - these were kindergarten children. So what do you think? What percentage at genius level? 80? 98%. Now the thing about this was it was a longitudinal study, so they retested the same children five years later aged 8 to 10. What do you think? 50? They retested them again five years later, ages 13 to 15. You can see a trend here can't you?
Cites itmSparksAug 2016Full comment
This whole premise of this story has me wearing a tin foil hat. [tldr] link Soooo many questions. so few answers. I'll start with my immediate thoughts. High dropouts are not absolutely a bad thing. In fact its pretty normal in all western schools that have zero focus on "how to learn". The "problem" is clearly earlier on in the education system, wherby students are reaching college age not knowing "how to learn", and suddenly finding its important. Next up - the cost of learning/knowledge material. I know of textbooks from the US being priced in the multi thousand dollar range (or simply not available for student purchase). "Teachers/Lecturers" aren't that important (I say that having graduated with a joint 1st from a top UK university having acquired a lot of warnings criticizing me for hardly ever attending lectures, but I wasn't skipping the material, I was skipping lecturers reading from textbooks). All that said, I am left feeling these stories are more about attacking education that provides chances for the lower classes in the US to become middle and upper classes. Nothing about this ITT tech story addresses this one way or the other. Where are the employment stats for those who successfully graduate? Where are the interviews with graduates? I just see a ton of hyperbole he said she said. And whenever I come across that I automatically assume its a political power based decision, rather than a rational "good for everyone" one. I know that all sounds a bit confused -
Cites itzdeanDec 2016
“Ken Robinson on collaboration in education”
Ken Robinson on collaboration being called cheating in school.
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Ken Robinson on collaboration in education: "In the work world, collaboration and team work are essential to success; in school, it's called cheating." More here this video
Cites itproxNov 2021
“RSA Animate on education and changing the paradigm”
Animated take on divergent thinking and changing education.
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It’s called divergent thinking. Creativity is a form of intelligence. RSA Animate on education and changing the paradigm: this video
Cites itjohnisgoodOct 2025
“Yeah, our education system sucks that much.”
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I am a SWE without any degrees. :D I dropped out to... study. Yeah, our education system sucks that much. this video
Cites itmkolodnyJul 2026
“It could be fun to try creating an RSA-esque visual explanation video”
Example of RSA-style drawn visual explanation.
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Good idea! It could be fun to try creating an RSA-esque visual explanation video instead of using canvas selection ( this video ).
CriticalmistercowFeb 2013
“ADHD denial is a very popular position.”
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>According to this talk: this video ADHD are normal symptoms that occur when a creative mind has to perform dull tasks. Yes, ADHD denial is a very popular position. It has about as much backing in science as climate denial. The idea that ADHD meds reduce the "creative potential" of the mind is pure nonsense.
