School awards - have they gone overboard?

Kylie Orr

As a kid, awards were a key motivator. I liked to win. Second best was never good enough for me and if I excelled in an area, I wanted an accolade: ribbon, medal, trophy or certificate to show me just how great I was. Perhaps it was an early sign of insecurity. Or perfectionism.

Even in my last year of school, I sat with sweaty hands clasped as they presented each class honour. I’d achieved an A+ in one of my subjects and was confident I would be the award winner. A perfect score was a definite guarantee of recognition. Not to be. I was silently devastated as each of my friends claimed a prize – Sports Achievement, Art Award, English Excellence, Chemisty Guru… I should have made a concerted effort to hang out with the dunces, then the feeling of failure would have been less shattering.

From the paddling pool of school to the deep end of uni I realised what an insignificant source of recognition those awards were. No one gave a fat rat’s rear whether you won the English Award in Year 12 at your little high school way out where. Now you were swimming with the big fish and the competition just got a whole lot faster.

My son started school last year. He is his mother’s son; alarmingly obsessed by whose triumph will be awarded at assembly each week. The school gives the parents a heads-up via the weekly newsletter so you can attend assembly with your camera and your cheesy grin when your child receives his or her gold-medal-stamped piece of paper.

My son is six. I believe the award system is a “take it in turns” arrangement so by the end of the year, all children will have received at least one award. A friend who has been through the school system for the last six years – she’s a pro - gave me this little gem at the start of the year “Awards are given to the naughty kids first to "encourage them" so your child will get one in about fourth term”. She was almost right. He got his first award on the last day of third term. Her son received an award at the first assembly of the year.

Award systems aren’t always fair or transparent. A disturbing story was relayed to me recently. A grade six student won a writing competition. There was no congratulations, no recognition or pat on the back from her school. Her mother asked the principal if they could put it in the newsletter perhaps, just as a tiny little thumbs up for her daughter. The principal refused based on the theory they don’t like to single students out. Huh? When the mother approached the classroom teacher, her response was “academic achievements are a reward in themselves.” Yet, the fact the school documented sports achievements every week seemed completely plausible to them.

Singling kids out? What, for being the best at something? Has the pendulum swung so far out of whack that we can’t recognise students who excel? Are we celebrating mediocrity here as a means of protecting our precious children’s feelings?

Sure, don’t point a finger and laugh at the student who is struggling through reading or maths or music. Don’t highlight the lack of co-ordination and constant clumsiness of the not-so-athletic children at school sports. I get that. But to flatline all recognition because we wouldn’t want to make any child feel inferior is the height of ridiculousness. A guaranteed way to glorify the average and dull standards.

My nephew excels at music. He is no prodigy but he sits a grand piano ahead of his nearest competitor. At his school, another student won the “music award.” If it was an “encouragement award” or a “you’re great at coming second award” then there is no issue. But when the criteria is clearly merit-based, why on earth would a student who is substandard score the prize leaving the clear frontrunner in a cloud of self-doubt?

Children need to be encouraged and recognised. They also need to learn that they simply cannot be the best at everything. A harsh life lesson that is going to be debilitating if not learnt early. Anyone ever watch Australian Idol? How many of those poor idiots could have been saved the ultimate embarrassment of public humiliation if their parents or singing teacher told them they should focus on chess instead?

Do we over-award children these days? What positive or negative impact have awards had on your children? Discuss Kylie's blog.