From 98% to 2%: The Cost of Conventional Education

Imagine if all parents knew that there was a 98% chance that their 4 year-old child was a creative genius, and if they follow the conventional system of education, by adulthood, the odds of retaining that genius, would drop to just 2%!

Nasa commissioned a study in the 60’s to study creativity in children, which was led by Dr George Land and Dr Beth Jarman. 

They found that 98% of 4-5 year olds that they tested, scored at ‘genius’ levels of creativity. 

In the same group of children, this had dropped to 30% by the age of 10, and 12% at age 15. 

By adulthood, only 2% of the original participants maintained this level of creative genius.

These figures are shocking. That’s a little less than 9% of kids losing their creativity for EACH YEAR of school between the ages of 5 and 15. 

Dr Land attributed this dramatic decline to the conventional education system, which he argued prioritises convergent thinking (focus on finding a single correct answer) over divergent thinking (which fosters imagination and multiple solutions). 

He also suggested that high-stakes testing and a focus on conformity creates a cognitive conflict, that suppresses the innate creativity children possess. 

In this context, can we afford NOT to explore alternatives for our children?  We are due to open our micro-school on the Bucks/Herts/Beds borders in 2026. Our Waiting List is now open.