Some people believe that competition for high grades motivates students to excel in the classroom. Others believe that such competition seriously limits the quality of real learning.Write a response in which you discuss which view more closely aligns with

We have all strived for the highest score in class back in our school days. Even parents promised presents on outdoing fellow classmates. This competition, whether motivates students to excel or seriously limits their quality of real learning is a debatable topic of discussion. Only after scrupulous analysis can a clear cut decision be made.

There’s no denying the fact that world as a whole is a ground for competition. There’s room for only the best. Be it business, education, politics, research, music or even outer space. One is prepared for this race for survival from the very beginning. The first time an individual is ever exposed to competition is in school. The race to get the highest grades is where it all begins. This healthy competition just prepares them for the life in real world which they can’t escape. It helps develop a sportsman spirit among them and they learn how to deal with failure and eventually burgeon from it.

Even though it is necessary to expose students to this war of survival of the best, an unfair competition can cause to become a serious impediment on a child’s mental and social development. One of the common scenarios in schools is that only a select few students excelling in studies are encouraged to take part in co-curricular activities regardless the presence of a mediocre student adept in that field. Such an unjust environment can lower a child’s self-esteem. He may fail to realize his forte and live his entire life believing he is inferior to others.

Another drawback of competition for high grades is that it limits the quality of real learning. In the race to complete the syllabus to score high, students fail to get into the depth of the topic. Such superficial learning does no good to students rather half knowledge could instead be dangerous. It becomes the responsibility of the teachers to generate a sense of competition among their students based on real knowledge and not simply on grades with half information.

To sum up, a healthy competition for high grades definitely motivates students to excel in the classroom and also prepares them for the race they will have to face once they step into the real world. But, an unjust competition can have detrimental effects on a child. Also it becomes the responsibility of the teachers and parents to encourage their children to study their subjects at depth and help them become proficient in their field.