Why is creativity not allowed in schools?

My time in seconary school is swiftly coming to an end: I’m almost in my last term of being in school ever and I’ve never been more thrilled. Because what I’ve noticed over the past five years of rules and uniforms, is that creativity is widely discouraged in british schools.

I’ve always been a creative rather than an academic, yes Iwas smart when I was younger, but that resulted in insane amounts of burnout (not the greatest feeling for an already depressed thirteen year old). The school Igo to isn’t known for being academically outstanding, so the pressures that are put on the students to maintain a public image that doesnt even exsist is baffling to me.

Of course when it came to chosing my options, I chose fine art, drama and history (not being allowed to chose music) for the main focuses for the next two years of my life. I got extremely upset with having to take history, but it was either that or geography and im not a fucking melt (no offence geography takers).

Now, with almsot being done with subjects I hate, I realised that the schooling system is detremental to young creatives. For instnce, I currently have a maths lesson a day. Why? Because they want us to pass of course, but why is maths so much more important than say art? I personally find art more important than maths, but the government made it so you have to pass maths GCSE so what do I know?

I think it all boils down to a terrible unchanged system. Jobs and cars have changed over the years, so why (other than beating kids with canes) has school not changed? This argument may be influenced by my terrible memory and horrific essay writing skills, but teachers and higher ups claim exams arent memory tests, which begs the question: Why are they not open book exams?

I obviously have no power over the governemnt, my english language spoken exam was about the stressful nature of exams, and I must say it was spoken beautifully by yours truly. However I only got a merit, which made me (and my classmates) think my english teacher had a teency bit of a bias against me but what can you do.

I do think that my suspected neurodivergency plays a large part in this argument as well, my focus is absolutely abysmal because of it, which is probably why I can’t get very high grades in exams as I get distracted, start ticcing due to stress, or my eyes blur over and take ages to refocus. But becasue I’m not distracting or loud in lessons, no one believes me if I say anything about wanting to be tested, not that the shitty people of CAHMS would help with anything anyway.

Funilly enough, the only lessons I can focus in are the ones where I am actually enjoying myself, because when I push myself to do somehting I don’t like my brain shuts down. So art is incredible for just sitting down and going, however I do end up hyperfocusing and forgetting to eat a lot of the time (better than dissasociating if you ask me).

I’ve also over the years had issues with self expression. I have a very alternative fhashion sense, and with me that comes with dyed hair and piercings, much to my schools (and parents) dismay. Schools are very strict with that kind of stuff, and as someone with five piercings and frequently “ruined” hair, it’s difficult for me to fully be myself as I have to undye my hair and hide or take out all my piercings.

The only freedom I get with my uniform is now I’m allowed to wear my leavers hoodie, which is forest green, but before that I would try and, for lack of a better word, yassify my outfits as best I could with what I had to work with. I still cuff my trousers to this day. The worst part about the uniform was the fact that afab people weren’t allowed to wear black trousers until 2021. Fucking 2021. As a closeted trans guy in 2018 it was a long (and covid-ey) 3 years.

The point of this little ramble is that I very much dislike the school system, it sucks and I cant wait to leave in two and a half months.

If you made it this far, woo! Have a cookie! Also let me know what you think on this topic and how your school used to be, thanks for reading :)

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