America's Battle with Creativity - Is School Killing It? What else might explain this?

The issues about learning that will be raised during the class session are not just for members of the class but really are for society overall.  To show the concern that has been expressed on the matter of creativity (and that we're not doing as well as we should) consider the following two pieces from a few years ago.  I wonder if in reading them you find yourself surprised.  I was when I read them.

The Creativity Crisis

If you buy the results in the piece linked above, the question is why this is happening.  One argument that has been advanced is that kids get too much supervision these days so don't develop a sense of autonomy and that they can function well by making their own independent judgments.  A piece called The Overprotected Kid makes this argument quite forcefully.  

Inside the Box - People actually don't like creativity

The linked piece contrasts conformity with creativity and argues that most people want to conform.  They don't want to buck the system.  On this one, rather than ask why, I'd like to ask simply whether this agrees with your own experience.  On campus, are most students conformists in your experience?