Any form of competition in life can become very unhealthy if not adequately guided, and academic competition is not left out in this unhealthy race.
Life keeps getting tougher each day, and so people are doing a lot to ensure they don't lose track. A lot of people go the extra mile to see that they succeed in their business, hoping for contracts, office promotions, etc., and surprisingly, we have seen this type of unhealthy competition in some schools nowadays.
When you hear stories of what happens in some schools, you will agree with me that their own competition is fierce, all for grades. Students now cross boundaries, doing what ought not to be done in a quest to obtain a higher grade than their mates. To know that some of these students even take hard drugs just to stay awake is worrisome; all these definitely have negative effects on their mental health.
I think I love competition a lot because it pushes us to put more effort into achieving our desired goals, but when it is unhealthy, it becomes such a toxic competition. Some schools have a way of recognizing toppers in each class so much that other students start feeling inferior. Left to me, every student who made an attempt for any given exercise should be recognized. We shouldn't start doing things that would encourage unhealthy competitions in school.
I heard of a child whose parents flogged him without mercy for taking the third position in a class of 32. Can you imagine that? Instead of appreciating his nice effort, he was reminded that those with the first position don't have two heads.This kind of character in parents encourages unhealthy competition too. By the time such a child starts taking hard drugs to overshadow his mate, they won't know the root cause of it.
Come to think of it, some people in my class who made first class those days aren't doing better than most of us today. From my experiences, grades are not a determinant of how well one will do in life. The most important thing is to ensure that a child is smart and knowledgeable to navigate life. There is no need for some kind of unhealthy competition we see amongst students today.
I am of the opinion that schools should not encourage unhealthy competition by any means at all but rather carry all the learners along. Parents and guardians too should desist from such, find out the strength and weakness of your child, and focus on working on his or her weakness rather than putting unnecessary pressure on a child over a common grade.
In summary, some level of healthy competition can motivate those learners to put in more effort, and that should only be encouraged by schools without putting in intense pressure that could affect their health, emotional well-being, and their morals as well. Let's encourage these students to learn for knowledge and not for grades while we put an end to the habit of making learning feel like a battlefield. Let the learners see education as a journey of learning, growth, and discovery rather than competing for grades.
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