Monitoring creativity at an aggregate level: a proposal for Europe

There is little doubt as to the importance of creativity for both economic and social progress and of the need for educational systems to enhance and nurture it. However, are educational systems promoting creativity? The general feeling is that it is, in fact, being 'killed' in schools. The educational systems were designed for a different type of economy that valued a different set of skills. They were not designed for the so-called knowledge-based society that requires highly creative individuals, ready to be lifelong learners and to apply their knowledge and skills in a variety of settings and forms. This article maintains that a first step for the promotion of creativity, in education in particular and in society in general, is to advance in its understanding and measurement. Within the context of the Open Method of Coordination and in order to develop knowledge-based policies in education and training, it is necessary to assess if educational systems are providing students with adequate tools, including the capacity to be creative. But can creativity be measured? This article presents an overview of the creativity field with special focus on measurement issues. In the last 50 years, the field of creativity has grown. It has become embedded in urban planning, management, economics and psychology amongst other fields. Such a variety of approaches has contributed to the enrichment of the phenomenon of creativity, but also to its vagueness. The article concludes with some implications of creativity measurement for human capital development.

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