ABSTRACT
The case for fostering creativity in education can be seen as a response to the conditions and pace of life and the global market economy, as discussed in Chapter 1. This case is made explicitly in policy documents, as already acknowledged earlier in the book. So, in England, the 1997 White Paper Excellence in Schools (DfEE 1997) talked of preparing young people ‘successfully for the twenty-first century’ by recognising the different talents of all people. This was built on by the NACCCE (1999) report, which talked of the need to provide young people with the skills and approaches required by employers. The report acknowledged that alongside high standards of academic achievement, employers now required ‘people who can adapt, see connections, innovate, communicate and work with others’ (NACCCE 1999: 13). Close by geographically, the Scottish Executive published on its website
in April 2004 the following statement by Frank McAveety, MSP, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, regarding creativity: ‘The creativity of Scots – from the classroom to the boardroom – is the edge we need in a competitive world. Our duty as an Executive is to create the conditions that allow that creativity to flourish – whether in arts, sciences, commerce or industry. . . .Creativity is as valuable in retail, education, health, government and business as in culture. The cultural sector should become the national dynamo of the creative impulse that can serve all these areas’ (Scottish Executive 2004). This was the precursor to the establishment of a commission in June 2004 comprising of representatives from various sections of the cultural sector and chaired by James Boyle, to refine the cultural and creative strategy for Scotland.
