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Putting creativity at the heart of school systems: Policy pointers inspired by current practice
Leverage networks and partnerships to support professional learning and innovation Professional collaboration and learning are possible beyond the walls of a single institution. They can be practiced and encouraged in the context of joint projects and professional networks of educators and schools, and when school staff work in partnership with individuals and organisations from other sectors. Networks and partnerships mobilise knowledge, trust and leadership locally, and can support innovation to take root and scale (Révai, 2020[49]; Nilsson Brodén, 2022[55]). In their systematic review of the development needs of teachers to promote creativity, Davis and colleagues highlighted the positive role that external partners can play in facilitating knowledge generation and mobilisation – for instance, by acting as research mentors for teachers to analyse their teaching practices systematically, or in supporting students and school staff to discover and experiment with new technologies as part of their creative endeavours (Davies et al., 2014[33]). Even though survey results reveal that cross-sectoral collaboration is not the most common form of systemlevel support offered to schools and teachers, a number of initiatives across PISA 2022-participating jurisdictions illustrate the important role that professionals and organisations in creative sectors other than education can play. In New Zealand, Creatives in School (2020-2023) is delivered by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage and Creative New Zealand. The programme, which targets Years 1 to 13, provides schools with up to NZD 17 000 to deliver 8 to 20 weeks-long projects oriented to developing students’ creative thinking, communication and collaboration competencies. An online database of creative practitioners is available to help schools identify a creative partner. Once a partnership is established, a joint project proposal can be formulated and submitted for evaluation and, eventually, funding approval. Between 2020 and 2022, more than 300 projects have been carried out, and around 200 projects will receive funding in 2023. Past funded projects included carving in the Māori tradition, ballet performances, school-site murals, storytelling, and student-led films and music. An evaluation of the programme’s first cycle (2020) found that it was “a worthwhile and valuable contribution to sharing knowledge and offering creative practices in schools”, and that it allowed teachers to “be more confident to design teaching and learning projects that engage students’ creativity, across the learning areas of the curriculum” (Oakden and Spee, 2021[56]). Evaluation of round two (held in 2021) confirmed the positive impact of the project and underlined how it contributed to strengthening key skills for both students and teachers (Oakden and Spee, 2022[57]). Several examples exist also in the United Kingdom, such as the Creative Partnerships programme in England. Funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) with a contribution from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), and managed by Arts Council England (and later, the organisation Creativity, Culture and Education), the programme was rolled out from 2002 to 2009 in 36 of the most disadvantaged areas in England. It defined ‘creativity’ not as bound to the realm of arts, but rather as a “wider ability to question, make connection and take an innovative and imaginative approach to problem solving”. Creative Partnerships invited schools to identify areas of improvement and paired them with creative professionals outside education to develop joint solutions. At the end of the project, schools were invited to reflect on the experience, and revisit the priorities initially identified. Creative Partnerships resulted in more than 8 000 projects in over 2 400 schools, reaching 1 million children and more than 90 000 teachers. It involved creative professionals of all fields, including architects, artists, scientists and others. In Lithuania, the homonymous ‘Creative Partnerships’ programme also supports the development of long-term partnerships between schools and creative professionals to explore inspiring ways for pupils to learn and develop their creativity and challenge teachers to engage in new pedagogical approaches. Since 2011, Creative Partnerships has worked with over 138 schools and 9000 pupils across the country. Additionally, inspired by England’s initiative, Chile piloted the programme ‘Creative Learning’ (Aprendizaje Creativo) in 2018. The programme is still running and has since scaled up.
Supporting students to think creatively
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