Do schools kill creativity?

A friend of mine sent a link to Do schools kill creativity? I've never had a particularly hard time in school for all that I never felt I fit into that mold, but some of the points that Sir Ken Robinson makes are very poignant, especially regarding the idea of teaching to the real child as opposed to forcing that child to conform to a set standard.

This also reinforced some of the issues that I have with the education system in general and why I haven't yet pursued a Master's degree, a topic that I touched upon very early here in my blog. In part, I also have not gone on in school because I feel that the system perpetuates itself. A lot of students are encouraged to seek higher education in the arts to secure teaching positions in the university setting. But as more and more students graduate and seek said positions, fewer and fewer positions become available because they have been filled, so competition goes up, tenure becomes more and more scarce and a lot of those graduates find themselves struggling to find work in the arts. However, many educational institutions and professors promote the system for all that it is self-perpetuating because they need the students (or at least the money that they bring into the university) in order to pay their bills and salaries.

I am not trying to be overly harsh on the university setting; there are many benefits to higher education. Nor am I questioning the validity of a degree in the arts - if that is your passion then run with it, but do so knowing that it isn't a cop out and that it isn't going to be easy, especially not after you graduate. I still just don't personally want to enter back into that circuit right now.