0:11Goodmorning.Howareyou?(Laughter)It'sbeengreat,hasn'tit?I'vebeenblownawaybythewholething.Infact,I'mleaving.(Laughter)TherehavebeenthreethemesrunningthroughtheconferencewhicharerelevanttowhatIwanttotalkabout.Oneistheextraordinaryevidenceofhumancreativityinallofthepresentationsthatwe'vehadandinallofthepeoplehere.Justthevarietyofitandtherangeofit.Thesecondisthatit'sputusinaplacewherewehavenoideawhat'sgoingtohappen,intermsofthefuture.Noideahowthismayplayout.0:56Ihaveaninterestineducation.Actually,whatIfindiseverybodyhasaninterestineducation.Don'tyou?Ifindthisveryinteresting.Ifyou'reatadinnerparty,andyousayyouworkineducation--Actually,you'renotoftenatdinnerparties,frankly.(Laughter)Ifyouworkineducation,you'renotasked.(Laughter)Andyou'reneveraskedback,curiously.That'sstrangetome.Butifyouare,andyousaytosomebody,youknow,theysay,Whatdoyoudo?andyousayyouworkineducation,youcanseethebloodrunfromtheirface.They'relike,OhmyGod,youknow,Whyme?(Laughter)Myonenightoutallweek.(Laughter)Butifyouaskabouttheireducation,theypinyoutothewall.Becauseit'soneofthosethingsthatgoesdeepwithpeople,amIright?Likereligion,andmoneyandotherthings.SoIhaveabiginterestineducation,andIthinkwealldo.Wehaveahugevestedinterestinit,partlybecauseit'seducationthat'smeanttotakeusintothisfuturethatwecan'tgrasp.Ifyouthinkofit,childrenstartingschoolthisyearwillberetiringin2065.Nobodyhasaclue,despitealltheexpertisethat'sbeenonparadeforthepastfourdays,whattheworldwilllooklikeinfiveyears'time.Andyetwe'remeanttobeeducatingthemforit.Sotheunpredictability,Ithink,isextraordinary.2:23Andthethirdpartofthisisthatwe'veallagreed,nonetheless,onthereallyextraordinarycapacitiesthatchildrenhave--theircapacitiesforinnovation.Imean,Sirenalastnightwasamarvel,wasn'tshe?Justseeingwhatshecoulddo.Andshe'sexceptional,butIthinkshe'snot,sotospeak,exceptionalinthewholeofchildhood.Whatyouhavethereisapersonofextraordinarydedicationwhofoundatalent.Andmycontentionis,allkidshavetremendoustalents.Andwesquanderthem,prettyruthlessly.SoIwanttotalkabouteducationandIwanttotalkaboutcreativity.Mycontentionisthatcreativitynowisasimportantineducationasliteracy,andweshouldtreatitwiththesamestatus.(Applause)Thankyou.(Applause)Thatwasit,bytheway.Thankyouverymuch.(Laughter)So,15minutesleft.(Laughter)Well,Iwasborn...no.(Laughter)3:30Iheardagreatstoryrecently--Ilovetellingit--ofalittlegirlwhowasinadrawinglesson.Shewassix,andshewasattheback,drawing,andtheteachersaidthisgirlhardlyeverpaidattention,andinthisdrawinglesson,shedid.Theteacherwasfascinated.Shewentovertoher,andshesaid,Whatareyoudrawing?Andthegirlsaid,I'mdrawingapictureofGod.Andtheteachersaid,ButnobodyknowswhatGodlookslike.Andthegirlsaid,Theywill,inaminute.(Laughter)4:07WhenmysonwasfourinEngland--Actually,hewasfoureverywhere,tobehonest.(Laughter)Ifwe'rebeingstrictaboutit,whereverhewent,hewasfourthatyear.HewasintheNativityplay.Doyourememberthestory?(Laughter)No,itwasbig,itwasabigstory.MelGibsondidthesequel,youmayhaveseenit.(Laughter)NativityII.ButJamesgotthepartofJoseph,whichwewerethrilledabout.Weconsideredthistobeoneoftheleadparts.WehadtheplacecrammedfullofagentsinT-shirts:JamesRobinsonISJoseph!(Laughter)Hedidn'thavetospeak,butyouknowthebitwherethethreekingscomein?Theycomeinbearinggifts,gold,frankincenseandmyrrh.Thisreallyhappened.WeweresittingthereandIthinktheyjustwentoutofsequence,becausewetalkedtothelittleboyafterwardandwesaid,YouOKwiththat?Andhesaid,Yeah,why?Wasthatwrong?Theyjustswitched.Thethreeboyscamein,four-year-oldswithteatowelsontheirheads,andtheyputtheseboxesdown,andthefirstboysaid,Ibringyougold.Andthesecondboysaid,Ibringyoumyrrh.Andthethirdboysaid,Franksentthis.(Laughter)5:21Whatthesethingshaveincommonisthatkidswilltakeachance.Iftheydon'tknow,they'llhaveago.AmIright?They'renotfrightenedofbeingwrong.Idon'tmeantosaythatbeingwrongisthesamethingasbeingcreative.Whatwedoknowis,ifyou'renotpreparedtobewrong,you'llnevercomeupwithanythingoriginal--ifyou'renotpreparedtobewrong.Andbythetimetheygettobeadults,mostkidshavelostthatcapacity.Theyhavebecomefrightenedofbeingwrong.Andwerunourcompanieslikethis.Westigmatizemistakes.Andwe'renowrunningnationaleducationsystemswheremistakesaretheworstthingyoucanmake.Andtheresultisthatweareeducatingpeopleoutoftheircreativecapacities.Picassooncesaidthis,hesaidthatallchildrenarebornartists.Theproblemistoremainanartistaswegrowup.Ibelievethispassionately,thatwedon'tgrowintocreativity,wegrowoutofit.Orrather,wegeteducatedoutifit.Sowhyisthis?6:21IlivedinStratford-on-Avonuntilaboutfiveyearsago.Infact,wemovedfromStratfordtoLosAngeles.Soyoucanimaginewhataseamlesstransitionthatwas.(Laughter)Actually,welivedinaplacecalledSnitterfield,justoutsideStratford,whichiswhereShakespeare'sfatherwasborn.Areyoustruckbyanewthought?Iwas.Youdon'tthinkofShakespearehavingafather,doyou?Doyou?Becauseyoudon'tthinkofShakespearebeingachild,doyou?Shakespearebeingseven?Ineverthoughtofit.Imean,hewassevenatsomepoint.Hewasinsomebody'sEnglishclass,wasn'the?(Laughter)Howannoyingwouldthatbe?(Laughter)Musttryharder.(Laughter)Beingsenttobedbyhisdad,youkno