One of the most discussed topics amid new parents is whether the competitive environment in school has negative or positive impact on children. While this was the norm of schooling in the past, competition can be both prodcutive as well as counterproductive, depending on its extent. This essay believes that competition in schools might not necessarily be the most appropriate technique for children’s over all development anymore.
The early years of childhood are the most crucial for long-term character development and sometimes such progress might be hampered by excessive competition at school. Mainly because, a competitive environment only rewards wins which could develop feelings of insecurity, self-pressure and loss of identity from a young age. In contrast, non competitive methods such as self-directed and hands-on learning following the work of pioneers such as Maria Montessori, help in developing curiousity and confidence in children. A case in point is the education system in Nordic countries such as Finland which has one of the top education systems in the world despite, not explicitly relying on other conventional competitive methods in schools.
On the contrary, it might also not be practical to shield children from competitive experiences as the real world is combative in many aspects of life. It is through competition at schools, children learn the values of time management, self-discipline and hard work which are among the most valuable traits a child can learn. For instance, in developing and highly populated countries like India, China, Bangladesh and so on, competition is the reality of life. As a result, Asian immigrants occupy highly professional sectors such as research, medicine and engineering jobs in developed countries. Therefore, compeititive school environment could be a better fit for some children.
Having considered both the perspectives, I think that competition can be a practical but an outdated tool at the same time, however, depending how the newer generations shall perceive learning.