Education warning by M.P.
PA Wellington Belief that education should not be competitive will lead to a drop in achievement levels, says the Opposition spokesman on education, Dr Lockwood Smith.
There was a philosophy abroad in education circles that competition was stressful, especially to Maori pupils, he said at Kaitaia College’s prizegiving. “If competition was such a bad thing and such an anathema to our Maori people, how come Maori youngsters excel in those most competitive of sports, rugby and rugby league?” he said. “If facing failure was such a traumatic event in those people’s lives, how come they run on to that playing field week after week knowing that one team must fail?”
It was not only concerning Maori education that some people argued competition and failure were bad, Dr Smith said.
When left to pay on their own, children invariably ended up organising a competition. “Why should competition in academic matters be any less enjoyable?” Dr Smith said.
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Press, 8 December 1987, Page 48
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160Education warning by M.P. Press, 8 December 1987, Page 48
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