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Poll: Is Pandering to Mediocracy Helping or Hurting?

For several decades, at least in the United States, schools and many parents have been pandering to mediocracy. How? There are many ways that this is done. Kids that don’t learn the knowledge needed to be proficient at a given subject in school, they are often passed to the next subject, rather than being made to take the same subject again. They are also often passed to the next grade, though they didn’t deserve it. This is done in an attempt to keep from hurting the child’s feelings.

In competitions in school, students that only managed to achieve average scores are now often given awards for it. 

There are many more examples, but this is pandering and rewarding average and below average behavior and results. That is what this poll is about.

  • Question of

    What do you feel about rewarding average and below average behavior and results?

    • I’m against it. People should be rewarded for their achievements, not for their lack of achievements.
    • I’m against it. It isn’t fair to those who work hard and succeed and doesn’t offer an incentive for those who do.
    • I suppose it is okay, sometimes.
    • I am in favor of rewarding average or below average. I don’t want the kids to feel left out.
  • Question of

    Do you think that children should be allowed to go on to the next subject or class in school if they haven’t gained an understanding of their current one?

    • Yes
    • No
    • other
  • Question of

    Do you think that a person who is in a race and finishes tenth place should be given an award?

    • Yes. At least they finished the race.
    • Yes. We shouldn’t hurt their feelings.
    • No. That isn’t real life.
    • Other
  • Question of

    Have you ever received an award for something you didn’t actually earn?

    • Yes
    • No
    • Not that I know of

Report

What do you think?

Written by Rex Trulove

15 Comments

  1. When all of the kids are given a reward then the winner does not know he/she did the best, not did the last one know he needed improvement. Pinned this, I wish everyone would vice their opinion.

    1
    • I agree with you. Giving an award to someone who didn’t earn it lessens the value of an award that is given to someone who did earn it and deserves it. It removes the incentive for doing the best that a person can do.

  2. Ugh… so I am average all my life, my room should be filled with awards and certificates now?
    I mean, encourage doesn’t means reward… You can praise the child for their efforts of trying… but they should never be awarded for just doing it, even badly (unless its the deal to just try).

    I’ve a cousin who was praised for almost everything he did – he is told he was handsome (fact is he is not really) and if he hum a few lines, he is told he is talented in singing. If he dance, he is born to be a dancer … blah…

    He is 11 now, and can’t even take a “no” or does he take criticism well… and he can’t function without an adult by his side – he “don’t know” how to take fish (because of bones) for himself or pour himself a cup of water…

    *roll eyes*

    1
    • Yes, I’ve known people like that. It is the classic example of being spoiled and it sure doesn’t help the child any. It puts them at a disadvantage because sooner or later, they are going to find themselves in the real world.

      In fact, I’ve known people who were unable to keep a job. The first reason is that employers tend not to keep employees that do a job poorly. The second reason is that they would often quit the job when they weren’t given a raise and weren’t able to understand that a raise is given to employees that consistently do a really good job.

      1
      • I think its very true… However, his parents are just biased towards boys so I guess it’ll hardly change… nobody is allowed to lecture him… or not treat him like a princes…

        But oh well, as you said, he’ll know it later when he enters the real world…

        1
        • Hopefully, before then his parents will realize that they are causing far more damage than good. If they honestly love the child, perhaps they will stop pandering to him.

  3. Good posts, no specific answers, but I would like help the below everage students more with reward or some encouragement.

    1
    • That is a very good thing and it is what I hoped for. If people don’t think about it, nothing at all changes. There is also a tendency to get wrapped up in our own little world, without stopping to consider the much larger picture.

  4. You are so right but we can’t hurt anyone’s feelings Rex. Plllllease give me a break!!!! This is not helping the child. They will not make it in the real world.

    1
    • Yep. They grow up to be disgruntled, hating everything and killing others. Growing up, my kids got praise for doing an exceptional job at anything. They got merely a thank you for doing an average job. Neither did drugs, joined a gang, tried to hurt other people, or became criminals. They both learned responsibility. If people want to know what happened to our youth today, they only need to look at how those people were raised. That is very powerful stuff!

      1
  5. I feel like mediocracy or even laziness is very often rewarded. I feel like almost everyone gets rewarded in schools so there is almost no incentive to excel.

    1