Q:How is competition institutionalized in education? What lessons does it teach students? What is wrong with this?

A: I think that every aspect of school teaches competition. Kids rarely have group assignments, and if they do they are broken into tasks that get compared to one another. All other assignments are graded by how the teacher sees fit, not by how hard the student tried or how good it is for the childs ability. Children also learn very young that the teachers give the most attention to the smart kids. The teachers send messages to kids that if you don't understand something it is because you are not as good or smart as another student. They also punish students who don't do well, or make them do extra work. I think this teaches kids that it is ok to judge people on grades and brains. It also teaches kids that if they got a low score, they are worthless and stupid. Competition teaches kids that it is better to work alone and get rewards, than to work as a group for the groups benefit. But on the other hand, this is how the world works. It's kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy that E&Z talk about. If kids aren't taught to fend for themselves, then someone else will eat them up and take advantage of them. But in doing this, the competition of the world will never decrease. I think that some competition is good, to teach kids that it isn't ok to settle for things, and to keep kids motivated. But where do you draw the line? Certainly before kids get the impression that they are worthless and failures! One idea would be to focus on different learning styles. Some kids can't sit in a class room for hours and learn a lot. They need to be outside and doing things hands on. Other kids need to express themselves through art or writing. And some kids, like myself, are better self-teachers! Letting kids learn through many different learning styles will help them recognize what style fits them best. Maybe then they will be motivated on their own to learn, and won't need a slow track class!
Heather Pugh