Should Schools Promote Competition in the Classroom?

Should Schools Promote Competition in the Classroom?

 

A child spends more than 8 hours of their day in the classroom, so the surroundings play a vital role in impacting their personalities. Competition has long existed in the classroom, and while it has benefited some students, teachers and parents are still unsure about the definite advantages. Experts say that since competition exists in the real world, it is important for children to develop ambition at an early stage.

It is difficult to instill the concept of competition among students in any other way at the age so some people agree that healthy competition in schools should be promoted.

Shaping Personality and Encouraging Ambition

At the primary school level, students are still discovering their interests and exploring their academic options. The existence of competition in a classroom prompts them to remain motivated and continue their tasks with resilience. Since competition puts students under pressure, psychologists believe that it makes them discover their potential.

Furthermore, challenges allow them to deal with stress and helps them develop habits to counter problems. Overcoming hurdles in life grants satisfaction to many and undertaking these tasks at a young age can encourage them to challenge themselves more.

Value of Relationships

When healthy rivalry is promoted among students, it teaches them the importance of sportsmanship and friendship. Since they are competing against children of the same age, the lessons learned via struggle are almost always the same. Their communication also improves due to friendship, and they learn the art of cooperation.

When groups of children are competing against each other, the essence of teamwork is highlighted, and they all put their differences aside for a common cause. Through this, a sense of partnership and unity is developed within them. Furthermore, parents have noted that students who engage in healthy competitions at school deal more maturely with sibling rivalry at home.

Stress Management Associated with Rivalry

Through competitions, students are made aware of the fact that life lacks complacence. Winning and losing are imperative parts of life, and this helps children learn how to cope up with the stress associated with rivalry. Not only does winning promote positive traits among children, but the sentiments associated with losing also has great benefits. It builds empathy among students because they are taught to console the losing party.

Whether the competition is academic or sports, children learn the lesson that they would not come out winners in every situation. Psychologists have noted that many adults are unable to manage stress because they are always in denial about their problems. Therefore, learning to fall during any competition develops a sense of acceptance at a very young age. It removes the element of pettiness and teaches students to be happy for other people’s successes.

While many people support healthy competition among students, some oppose the tradition as they consider it an outdated and ineffective method of learning.

Schools Should Promote a Learning Environment

Competition among students makes the education system look facile and insensitive. It makes learning superficial as students are motivated only to defeat their peers and come out on top. Therefore, schools should promote cognitive learning behavior and induce contemplative methods among students to prepare them for the long run.

This system also disregards the inequality in education. Some students belong to backgrounds that are economically sounder, and so, they have a better chance of performing due to resources like assignment writing service. By overlooking these factors, the image of an ignorant education system is publicized that might discourage students from taking part in school activities.

Takes an Unhealthy Turn

Sometimes, competitions can take an ugly turn and harm the psyche of students. If a student is accustomed to winning, their attitude becomes permanent and extreme reactions are noticed when they face loss. Psychologists report that unhealthy competition among students can give rise to anger management issues and frustration. These problems cause them to work intensively hard to prove a point and can provoke major damages to their personalities. For instance, sports rivalry results in a petty display of aggression on-field and the anger fuelled by revenge can also cause serious physical damage.

Psychologically Damaging

Children usually learn and develop skills at their own pace. However, with the competition, schools promote the notion that students are less important than trivial rivalries. This prompts the development of an inferiority complex among some students who are unable to partake in the class competition. Dyslexia and dysgraphia are common learning disabilities and putting these students against kids who are not academically challenged would be unfair.

Moreover, competition compromises with the mental health of students as they often face issues of self-esteem after subsequent failures. They can also experience social isolation in the form of bullying, which commonly occurs with students who are considered academically “weaker”. The competitive environment in school judges them based on the set of skills generally considered important, and this, therefore, suppresses the individuality of every student.

Whether class competition in the education system is effective or not can only be proved by statistical facts. However, schools that introduce rivalries should monitor the system with great care to ensure that competition does not exploit anyone’s potential. The conduct and values students learn in schools serve as an influence on their personalities and schools should, therefore, be responsible when practicing their teachings.