7th May 2014 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A recent study carried out by charities working with schools showed that the majority of school children are anxious about the competitive nature of schools sports, and feel a considerable amount of pressure from their parents to perform well. The results showed that whilst students would be happy to see the competitive aspect of school activities removed, parents felt that this element was crucial to children’s development and should be encouraged. This study is particularly interesting from a tutor’s perspective, because it speaks to the dynamics between parents and students which they must navigate. How should tutors deal with competition? Should it be avoided as unhealthy for students, or harnessed to improve performance?
The answer, as many tutors have discovered, lies in what kind of competition we are talking about. Most tutors have come across pushy parents in their time, who insist that nothing but the top grades are acceptable. Many tutors have been approached by parents wanting their children to strive for A*s instead of As, to learn an additional language outside of school, or to improve their chances of getting into a top university. Again these things are not necessarily bad for students, but the attitude of parents is crucial. The study into competition at school showed that children didn’t necessarily have a problem with competition per se, but were made anxious by parents who yell on the side lines at school events, and scold children for not performing well.
Both tutors and parents should teach the students to engage in healthy competition. The drive to do well should be encouraged, but not with threats and pressure. Parents who reward their children with money for grades, shout on the side lines and pressure their children are doing them no favours. Similarly, tutors who scold rather than encourage are likely to see negative outcomes. Instead, where students are struggling, tutors should be friendly and encouraging, find out what the problems are and help students overcome them in a collaborative way.