Making Schools the “Best in the World”
You know those fist-pumping speeches that invariably include the line, “make this nation’’s schooling the best in the world!” Almost without exception we hear this wherever national schooling exists: US, UK, Canada, Australia…
Am I the only one who shudders at this wholly accepted rhetoric around competition? Does this really make sense?
You might say “competition drives improvement!” Or national pride is good.” Yes! I wholeheartedly agree with both of these excellent points. But let’s explore what this means.
Competition
Would a world-class sprinter have any interest racing the nearest 30 people of the same age? We all know this race would be pointless, for our sprinter would probably thrash the competition without breaking a sweat. Then we have the runners forced to race when they ha’ve other interests and strengths. What a joyless experience for everyone involved!
When we push all students through the same exams, students, like our sprinters, are not challenged. Other students, shamed by their poor comparative performance, lose confidence, as they’’re beaten in races they never chose to run. This, my friends, is how a system creates student disengagement.
Some people may argue that “school exams are the basics!” Are they though? Basics? Are you able to read what you want to read in your own time? Can you add and subtract Making Schools the “Best in the World”:
