There has been a lot of emphasis placed upon the use of CAD within schools.  (Computer Aided Design).  Given the way that we have embraced technology in our lives it is only right that we should embrace its use. But it often comes at a cost in creative school curriculums.

I feel that we have embraced CAD at the expense of teaching youngsters the vitally important skill of sketching.

It is important to understand that the modern Design (and Technology) department is not simply about manufacture. Sure, it is an important component BUT it is simply the much-needed icing on a very big cake.

The embodiment of an idea, teaching our young to think creatively (not divergently necessarily) and enabling them to convey their ideas on paper with a pencil in sketched and noted form are absolute pre-requisites if we are to help nurture a better future.

A quick sketch has no linguistic or cultural boundaries; it can convey a physical attribute, an aesthetic detail, a human resource structure, and so on. 

The pencil sketch is, without doubt, the single most important design skill any student can have if we are to nurture creativity in our schools.