The human brain is driven by either desire or fear when working towards a specific goal.
In the context of education, students may score high marks due to a desire for validation from others or fear of their parents’ disapproval or societal judgment.
Some students have a genuine interest in studying, while others may not care about validation or lack interest in their studies.
The educational system is often disappointed with the latter group of students, as they may score lower marks or even fail. Educational institutions want these students to perform better for several reasons, including meeting the demands of parents, enhancing the institution’s reputation, maintaining pass percentages, and competing with other institutions. To address this issue, many schools have decided to punish students who score poorly or fail.
However, this approach has a dark side: students’ brains become conditioned to associate failure with punishment, making them afraid to take risks or try new things in their adult lives.
This fear can hinder entrepreneurship and innovation, which are crucial for a country’s economic growth.
The demand for high-performing students comes from various sources, such as parents wanting validation in society or believing that high scores are the only path to success.
Some parents may also hope for scholarships to fund their children’s future education. Although these motives may be understandable, they put immense pressure on students and can lead to mental health issues or even suicide.
To address this issue, teachers and parents should take the time to understand each student’s unique needs and interests.
Normalizing failure is essential in alleviating the fear-driven approach to education. Teachers must carefully consider when punishment is necessary and parents should respect their children’s interests and dedication before shutting them down.
It is important to note that this critique is not aimed at individual teachers but rather the educational system as a whole. Teachers often follow the directives given by their institutions. Sustainable change must come from all sides.
This analysis is based on self-observation and personal reflection.