Children in a school are from different backgrounds; some are rich, others are poor, some are academically gifted, others are gifted in sports and others in technology. These differences may be very prominent and may create an environment that is socially and academically competitive. A child who is placed in a class with those who are more academically gifted than they are may develop the desire to perform better and reach their highest potential. However, it is also possible that the child could see themselves as not good enough or incapable due to being in an environment where they don’t seem to fit in and this may lower their self esteem and confidence, hence why I strongly believe that a competitive environment has an overall negative impact on children.
Seeing one’s agemates scoring high grades may motivate a child to aim higher. Children often pick up behavior from fellow students. Being in a competitive class, a child may adopt the art of working hard and being disciplined in their school work in order to perform as well as their classmates. In this case, a competitive environment would have helped push them and ignite the drive within them to achieve.
On the other hand, a competitive environment may make a child feel discriminated and lower their self esteem. In a competitive environment, it would be easy for a child to single themselves out by comparing themselves to others. For example, if a child is placed in a class where most learners are from richer families, it would be very easy for the child to compare their financial status to their classmates’. This would have a negative impact on the child as they would think of themselves as undeserving, perhaps even unloved by their parents. The child may also develop mental health illnesses such as anxiety and depression, which would prove to be detrimental in the long run.
In conclusion, schools have existed for many decades and have undoubtedly motivated students to reach their utmost potential. However, an extremely competitive school environment can have a negative impact on a child by causing them to develop mental health issues.