Link to the article is here.
This article caught my interest the moment I read the title. Anything providing insight on our education system is worth the read, as almost every single person I have questioned have all agreed – it is flawed and needs to be improved. The author argues that teachers are not pushing their students hard enough, and that there is too much of an emphasis on playing nice in order to preserve the student’s feelings and confidence. I am in agreement. When I compare my elementary and middle school teachers to my high school teachers, they certainly encouraged us to challenge ourselves more back then. However, it is not only egalitarianism that contributes to fewer entrepreneurs and innovative students. Our advance in technology has made us dependent on Google, and we no longer read as much as a society. We have become accustomed to receiving instantaneous results, rather than persevering through failure to reach our goals. While I do agree teachers should increase competition and challenge their students more, they must do it in moderation. There is a limit. In South Korea and China, it is not uncommon for many students to commit suicide because of pressure and stress from their teachers and parents.
This author uses very rich vocabulary, and their sentences are very concise: “As a result, the ripple effect of this will undoubtedly instill some level of healthy competition among burgeoning innovative Canadians” (Lacavera). Their style works well to convey their message, as the issue they are addressing is serious.
Gloria – you have made some very wise insights in your response… it is a very interesting article.