Learning, Not Competition: An Educational Concern

Many times when I consider the educational sector, I feel something, or some things are wrong. Of course, this wasn't the case while younger. There was a system in place and we were abiding by its tenets. My considerations, however, opened me to things that don't really look satisfactory or okay about the educational system, which we have here especially. Let's not talk about the poor level of education and the quality it's deprived of, even though it's supposed to be one of the most considered and impactful sectors.

Reading the prompt, I see a reflection of the nature and treatment of education in our society. I went through a competitive high school, and then a demanding higher institution. When it came to education, it was a journey of struggles and competition. Sadly, many of us bought into the narrative and walked with it through our academic days. Today, I seem to differ from that perspective, at least from what life has taught me. These are the current considerations that leave me thinking; it can be done differently.

So, what if there were no competition, especially in our high schools, would there be the desire for excellence? It irks me when I ponder on these things, realising that what happens in most schools is competitions, not really academic processes. I'm not talking about organised academic competitions here. Someone told me recently how a girl in high school was scolded by her dad because she came fourth in her class. This was without him even checking her termly average, which was ninety plus. He later realised that.

I've seen and heard of students who went to new schools and became the top of their classes while they were “average” in their former schools. And the other way round. That alone signals a deficient system of education. This is where unhealthy competitions come in. Many students have been victims of “not being the top ones” when they are actually academically good. If there's any need for a competition, it should be healthy and not what can lead some into depression and other actions all because they want to be at the top by all means.

You know, I think this somehow stems from the biased life pattern that has been in place; which suggests you go to school, finish with good results and have a good life afterwards. It might have worked in the past, but it doesn't always go that way. This leaves me considering the unfair nature of this competitive system. Some students are not so endowed when it comes to Intelligence Quotient (IQ), but talk of innovation, skills and other forms of Quotient, and they're right at the top. Why can't that be considered and infused into the system as well?

This is not an attempt to disrepute school or education, as many tend to do in such discourse. School/education is important and necessary, and why we have Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 4 as Quality Education. The concerning thing is when students move from the joy of harmless and beautiful learning to fierce competitions. Learning more than competition should be prioritised. Then, we won't have “excellent” students but defunct out there in the world, because they battled, possibly crammed rather than learn.

Excellence should be rewarded, especially when a student works hard for it. Competition has a way of bringing out more in a person, yet it shouldn't be the basis, standard or way.

Images are AI generated.

Thank you for reading through!