Report cards and prize distribution ceremonies have turned into sources of unhealthy competition in schools, said teachers and mental health professionals.
Parents often compare the marks obtained by their child with others’ scores and discuss them with other parents, a practice that spawns competition.
The competition goes much beyond the classrooms, into social media pages and in social circles.
Children do not get the space or the opportunity to grow at their own pace, said the principal of a school.
“There is no satisfaction among parents even if a child is a topper. The pressure is always there on the child. The toppers are asked to work harder to hold the top position, while average students are asked to work hard to get to the top position,” said psychiatrist Rima Mukherjee.
“Not just parents. Schools, too, end up fostering that competition because the child’s achievements are uploaded on the social media pages of the schools,” said Mukherjee.
Some schools organise prize day ceremonies as the academic year ends and invite the parents to attend them.
“We have to teach our children to work hard to be better than what they are at present. They should not focus on what their peers have achieved. Sometimes, the students work with only one goal on their minds — to do better than a peer. This is really sad.
The students should work hard to a better version of themselves,” said Devi Kar, director, Modern High School for Girls.
But some schools think that report cards and prize distribution ceremonies are important part of school life and both parents and children have to learn to handle it.
“Children work throughout the year and it is an acknowledgment of their hard work. Prizes act as a motivator,” said Amita Prasad,
director, Indus Valley World School.
“But, yes, this does lead to unhealthy competition sometimes,” she said.
Satabdi Bhattacharjee, principal of South City International School, said that it is the adults around the child who make a big deal out of this and the “real purpose is lost”.
“An award is not just to celebrate a child but also to motivate and inspire other children to get that prize,” said Bhattacharjee.
Psychologist Farishta Dastur Mukerji said the competition is not just in academics. It extends to extra curricular and sports.
“Schools should consider giving prizes for character attributes like kindness, collaboration and team work,” said Dastur Mukerji.
A section of teachers feels that adults have become “over protective” towards
children.
“We are not nurturing robust, strong-in-mind children who would not fall apart at other people’s success or otherwise. One has to understand and acknowledge that in
life, there would always be people better than us,” said Kar.
