1. “Children, full of questions about things that interest them, are learning not to ask them at school. Against a background of tests and targets, unscripted queries go mainly unanswered and learning opportunities are lost.” From a very young age, kids are taught to silence their curiosity in the classroom as their questions and wonders that did not align with what is on the lesson plan. This can be extremely discouraging for a young child having to suppress their interests can lead to a lack of inquisitiveness.
  2. “Further, the researchers found that when it came to good school performance, the ability to stay focused and, for example, not be distracted by a thunderstorm, was less important than curiosity – the questions children might have about that storm. Teachers who concentrate on developing focus and good behaviour because of the links to good academic performance, now need to take on board that developing curiosity could be even more important.” I find it very interesting that teachers would silence a child’s curiosity so they could get through their lesson plan. As they think developing focus and good behavior lead to good academic performance when research has proven that the most effective way for a child to achieve good academic performance is through exploring their curiosity.
  3. “Promoting curiosity in children, especially those from environments of economic disadvantage, may be an important, under-recognised way to address the achievement gap. Promoting curiosity is a foundation for early learning that we should be emphasizing more when we look at academic achievement.” This is very eye-opening for me. I did not know the full extent of the role curiosity plays in the educational system. Research has once again proven that curiosity is the most effective way a child can learn. Environments, where curiosity is emphasized, can bridge the achievement gap between the different social classes of people and children.
  4. “When you visit schools in many parts of the world it can be difficult to remember they are full of active, intellectual children, because no one is talking about their inner mental lives. How well they behave, and how they perform seem much more important to many people in the educational communities. Often educational bureaucracies have shunted curiosity to the side.” To tell a kid to stop being curious about something is impossible, it is like telling someone to turn off their brain. As humans, we tend to want to find our own answers and define what is right and wrong in our perspective. Forcing someone to suppress their interest is not good for their mental health since you are basically being forced to hide a part of yourself.
  5. “School kills curiosity. When do children get to ask questions about things that interest them? As soon as they are at primary school they have to shut up and learn. It’s not the fault of teachers. They have so many targets to meet.” I can help but wonder what my life would be like if I was given the opportunity to explore all my curiosities as a kid. In class, I tend to shy off when the teacher asks a question or even when a simple discussion erupts. And I wonder if it is because I never to the chance to truly explore my interests.