What do you see are the major reasons for innovation failure and success in education?

What do you see are the major reasons for innovation failure and success in education?

I agree with Dennis and Zachary that whether innovations in education fail or succeed depends a lot on the actors involved - teachers, administrators, parents and students.

Often teachers get so caught up in finishing the curriculum that there is little time for them to think of innovating. In a traditional classroom (the ones I have seen in Indonesia/India) people are suspicious of 'new-fangled' ideas. They just want kids to score well on exams and not be 'distracted'. While creativity is encouraged in the younger classes, as children get older, the education system 'streamlines' them, conditions them for the world. Of course the interesting thing to note is that in today's world, Innovators are doing well, and the rest are just following them. To change the way we educate, there has to be a collective buy-in from all actors involved. This is really hard to get. Perhaps because schools are naturally more democratic than private businesses, that change is slow to take root.

In terms of successful innovation: I can't think of a school. But someone I know started a business. In Jakarta, Indonesia, there is a massive traffic problem - to the extent that it can take you 2 hours to cover 10 km!!! My friend started a motorbike taxi business, but he didn't buy his on motorbikes, he just organized the already existent motorbike taxis under his company's umbrella. He started GPS tracking and a call center to take orders (just like ordering a cab). The motorbike taxis also deliver groceries and other items. His company was recently recognized in the Global Entrepreneurship Program conference in Bali and I know he's got angel investors who want to invest in his business. It's a case of him solving a problem in a simple way, with existing resources. It's also a small company, all friends, and they think alike.