by Don Shields

Created on: August 21, 2009

America is a competitive society. Always has been, hopefully always will be. Keen competition keeps industry on its toes and fosters improvements and positive changes in society. Competition in education promotes this and inspires students to achieve more.

Those who believe that competition is harmful would do away with grade point averages. They would give all students either a pass or a fail, but even this is competition. Students will always know who put out an effort and deserves the grade. The absence of the grade only makes parents feel better. They want to know that their child is okay, they don't want to face facts that maybe Johnny or Betty are not working to their potential.

I blame my generation, those who are 40-60 or older. We created this Frankenstein and now we want to destroy an evil that won't die. This Boomer group allowed everyone to get a trophy in Little League, pass on to the next grade without reaching minimum requirements. They yelled and screamed when their student or athlete did not make the grade or lost a contest. They stopped keeping score. Now they have to live with the results.

American students are taught from an early age that they do not have to put an effort to pass. There is no failure for fear their tender psyche will be harmed. We put the mind and learning in the back seat and feelings and emotions in the front in an attempt to have healthy individuals. Parents pulled back from helping until their student failed, then they railed against the system and put the onus on it, instead of themselves. Parents did not allow their students to fail and learn from it. They did not put the pressure on children, but rather took up residence in the living room and locked the door of communication. They let TV and the Internet raise their children, losing the lessons that they were taught.

Because of the lack of interest and active participation on the part of parents, schools were forced to become societal architects. Schools had to teach lessons that should have been done at home. Sex education, morals, values were all brought into the schools as mandates because homes were not addressing these issues. Students became more dysfunctional and schools were expected to correct the ills and police the problems.

All this was due to lack of competition. Students no longer had to work for grades, because grades went by the wayside. Honor rolls were no longer published in local papers with the names of top students because someone who did not make the grade would be left off, and parents would have to face the embarrassment of their student not making the grade.

No Child Left Behind assured that students would not stand above each other. The short story "Harrison Bergeron" tells the tale of people who live in a society that punishes those that stand out for whatever reason. The title character ends up committing suicide because of lack of individuality. Competition promotes individuality and achievement.

Grades should be given competitively. Not everyone deserves a trophy. In the real world, those with a competitive spirit are rewarded, not forced to wear impairments so others can feel better about themselves.

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