"Creativity is as important as literacy"

I just re-watched this TED talk given by Sir Ken Robinson after watching another lecture of his for class:

 

This video was inspiring for me, especially the story towards the end about Gillian Lynne. In class, we've talked a little bit about the arts and the lack of importance placed on them by the education system. I don't think anyone would say that creativity is a bad thing. Rather, it is an important skill that is very beneficial in all areas of life. It is the creative people who get ahead in life. The ones who think outside the box are the people who create ideas that lead to the advancement of mankind. 

I have been struggling to comprehend how we can fully nourish the creativity in children under the current system of schooling. It's clear that standardized testing and grades are the main focus surrounding education these days. We need music, dance, drama and art in school as creative outlets for students, yet how can we focus on creativity when our employment relies on test results in reading, math and writing? I think most people would agree that the arts are important, but the way that schools are set up says otherwise.

As was stated in the lecture that we watched for class, the school system doesn't need to be reformed, but rather, transformed. What will it take for this to happen? As pre-service teachers, we need to put our creativity to use in order to figure out how to change the nature of schools.