Groomed For Failure

This is my first attempt at blogging, so please be gentle with the criticism. Nah, just kidding, be as harsh as you want, I would like the feedback.

Anyway, to the topic I wish to bring to the table...

I am asking you if we (Australians) are grooming our younger generations for failure? (If you are reading this in another country, then I would like your input as to the situation in your own country)

I am not all that old, but when I was in High School, I remember that we were graded based on our performance throughout a School year. We had half yearly and end of year exams. There were assignements during the year, and tests at the end of each subject to track our performance.

My grades were mediocre at best, and at worst I failed.

However, at no time throughout my Schooling was I ever given a second chance, or told not to expect top marks as they were unattainable. My teachers told me that if I did not put my head down and bum up (metophorically) then I would fail.

That's right, the other four letter 'F' word that nobody likes to hear; "FAIL".

But they were right. I did not put my nose to the grind stone, and 10 years after leaving school I regret not trying harder. However, when I went out in to the workforce, I knew that I would not keep a job if I did not perform to the companies standards.

This was because all through my high school career, the need to do better was a constant requirement. The teachers did not worry about how I would feel if they told me that I had failed, and in one case I was told that I was a "waste of space".

At the age of 28, I have around 13 cousins, 8 of which are still in school or just finishing, and when they told me that the grading system throughout their schools had changed, and how it had changed, I admit that I was quite shocked.

Kids are actively being told that they should not expect an 'A' for their efforts, but should aim for a 'B' instead. Which subsequently leads to lower grades being moved up.

But this is not just happening in schools, but also sporting events where there is no score being kept. This is to save 5 year olds from dealing with the prospect of failure. Although I acknowledge that they are just kids, and it doesn't matter all that much as they are out to have fun.

Is this not setting a trend for further down the track?

Will buffering the youth of today from failure help them prepare for the world outside of school?

In my opinion, no!

Do you think Sir Richard Branson would have built the Virgin name in to such a globally recognised corporation if he had not learned how to deal with failure? Of course not. He learned that if you failed at something you tried again.

I think it is time that we stopped wrapping them up in cotton wool, and started exposing them to the real world, and what will occur if they fail at their schooling. This may just scare them into trying that little bit harder in the next exam.

Please let me know your thoughts or opinions on this subject. Also, if you disagree with what I have said, tell me why.

Thank you all and goodnight