Education has long been a subject of detate. Some people state that a competitive environment motivates pupils to be more engaged in the educational process and therefore achieve greater results. However, I support the opinion that schools being too competitive could influence children in a negative way.
On the one hand, competition could be a great source of motivation for students, as the desire to become the best seems natural for human beings. For instance, playing an interactive game and competing individually, pupils try to be as involved as possible in order to receive a better mark or a prize. Moreover, it could help them improve their sense of discipline, resilience and ambition, which are valuable qualities both for their professional and personal lives. As a result, children are more likely to study more, be significantly more active in class and thrive academically.
On the other hand, a too competitive environment could have a detrimental impact on children. Competition that penetrates all lessons and tasks could produce excessive stress and anxiety, especially for students who lag behind. This may lead to permanent mental health problems, including low self-esteem. Instead of fostering love for learning, it may encourage a fear of failure. Moreover, individual competition doesn’t encourage students to develop their skills of working in a team, which are beneficial for people in modern society. Overall, competition among schoolchildren seems mostly a negative phenomenon, as the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.
To conclude, a competitive school environment is a disputable problem. Some people argue that it encourages students to crave better results; however, I believe that it could do more harm than good, having a significant impact on children’s mental health and collaborative skills.