How Schools Can Foster Creativity & Innovation in Students
Let’s be honest—most of us grew up associating school with routines, fixed answers, and standardised tests. But the world students are stepping into today is anything but standard. It’s unpredictable, driven by innovation, and constantly evolving. That’s why creativity and innovation—once considered “nice extras”—have become core survival skills. And NEP 2020 gets that.
The policy places creativity and innovation right at the heart of 21st-century education, urging schools to rethink not just what they teach, but how they teach. Because truthfully, students can no longer afford to just memorize—they need to imagine, design, and create.
What Do Creativity and Innovation Really Look Like in Education?
Let’s clear up a common myth: creativity isn’t just for artists, and innovation isn’t limited to tech geniuses.
Creativity in classrooms means students thinking in new ways, experimenting with ideas, asking “what if” questions, and learning that failure isn’t the end—it’s part of the process. Innovation is about applying that creativity to solve real problems, build new things, or approach familiar topics from fresh angles.
These aren’t just abstract ideas. According to the World Economic Forum’s list of Top 10 Skills of the Future, creativity ranks consistently high—and innovation follows close behind. So how can schools make sure students are equipped?
- Rethink Classroom Culture
Creativity thrives in safe spaces where students feel free to express themselves without fear of being “wrong.” Classrooms need to encourage curiosity, reward risk-taking, and normalize failure as part of learning.
Teachers play a huge role here. When they ask open-ended questions, invite divergent thinking, or allow for multiple interpretations, they’re quietly signalling that creativity is valued just as much as correctness.
- Integrate Cross-Disciplinary Learning
Real-world problems don’t come neatly labeled as “math-only” or “science-only.” NEP 2020 emphasizes interdisciplinary learning for this reason. For example, combining environmental science with art or history with technology helps students make connections across subjects—and that’s where creative thinking kicks in.
Project-based learning, thematic assignments, and collaborative tasks that cut across subjects are great ways to bring this to life.
- Encourage Design Thinking
Design thinking is a hands-on, human-centred approach to problem-solving that’s gaining traction in education. It pushes students to empathize, define problems, ideate, prototype, and test—skills that mirror both creativity and innovation.
Even something as simple as redesigning a school lunch menu or improving the layout of a classroom can spark the design thinking process.
- Use Technology as a Tool, Not a Crutch
Digital tools—from animation software to coding platforms—can give students new ways to express ideas. But it’s not about the tool itself—it’s how students use it. Are they just clicking buttons, or are they creating something meaningful?
NEP 2020 encourages the use of tech to personalize learning and spark innovation. Platforms that allow students to collaborate, create digital content, or run simulations can turn passive users into active inventors.
- Offer Choice and Voice
Giving students a say in what and how they learn builds ownership—and often leads to surprising bursts of creativity. Let them pick project topics, choose presentation formats, or explore their own questions. When students are engaged with purpose, creativity often follows naturally.
Schools as Innovation Labs
If creativity and innovation are going to be crucial in the future of work, then schools need to act more like innovation labs than factories. The goal isn’t just to prepare students for exams—it’s to prepare them for a future we can’t fully predict.
By nurturing creativity, encouraging experimentation, and teaching students how to think differently, schools won’t just be following NEP 2020—they’ll be empowering the next generation of change-makers, thinkers, and doers.