We as a society need people that think outside the box and are willing to put their ideas into practise and invent new products. Without these people we as a human race may not move forward and continue to make new discoveries and innovations so it is essential that we foster these skills in our young people from the outset.
The primary and secondary curriculum is very much concerned with a pupil’s academic ability in English, and Mathematics but what we really need is to see an increase in the time spent on science, design and technology because it is within these subjects that pupils get the opportunity to develop innovative thinking and try out their ideas. There are competitions set for school aged children by recognised bodies that encourage children to invent something to solve a common problem which many schools take part in.
Parents can play a vital role in encouraging their offspring to design and produce items by allowing them to get messy, try out their designs even if they might fail and praising them for ideas. Having the mindset of an inventor may mean that as the child grows they will be more likely to enter this exciting field and become an inventor themselves.