The word ‘failure’ should never be used in education. Discuss.
Given that the education system has for a long while, been governed by a system of passing and failing, it is unsurprising that the term ‘failure’ has been met with great controversy in recent times. However, the point of education was to prepare students for the challenges of modern day society and not to paint a rosy picture of the future challenges ahead. Hence, I feel that ‘failure’ should be used sparingly and sensitively such that it encourages students to strive for the better and more importantly, to not fear failure.
Some feel that using the term ‘failure’ is much too harsh and unnecessary. Their opinions are further backed by recent psychological studies that illustrate the detrimental impacts of being labeled a failure – the psychological and emotional scars that often result continue to mold and haunt the person well after he has left school. This will prove unhealthy for both his mental health and self-esteem. More disturbingly, the labels can potentially overwhelm the student so much so that they turn to suicide as a solution to solve their troubles stemming from the failure label. This is clearly depicted by the alarming suicide rates of students in competitive societies of Japan and South Korea where they are largely driven by the overwhelming levels of stress they face, leading to them make the decision of ending their lives. Hence, it can be seen how high the stakes are for students emotionally and how unhealthy the pressure to succeed is as a result of the strong culture of ‘failure’ in education.
