At an event I attended last week the chair of Boris Johnson’s Education Inquiry, Dr Tony Sewell, repeated the claim that schools are anti-competition. This idea has become received wisdom amongst Tory politicians and supporters. It seems to come from a belief that the left have created a state education system where “all must have prizes”, to quote our Prime Minister. This just doesn’t ring true for me; I visit a lot of schools and I can’t think of a single one that doesn’t have at least some of these:
- Sports teams competing against other schools
- Boards celebrating successful students
- Boards with competitions between classes, houses or year groups
- Prize-giving in assemblies for sporting and academic achievement, attendance and punctuality
- Challenges in class for who can score highest, finish first, show the best understanding/depth/creativity
I would challenge anyone who claims that schools are anti-competition to show me a school that actually doesn’t use and encourage competition in these ways. I would be surprised to see even one, let alone the nation-wide conspiracy to undermine competition that is implied by David Cameron, Melanie Phillips, Toby Young and Boris Johnson.
Since schools do celebrate success and use competition in a variety of ways, what is it exactly that Dr Sewell et al are looking for? If it’s not about those at the top, who are celebrated, it must be about those at the bottom. Their issue must be that schools use the celebration of success as a carrot, but don’t use humiliation as a stick. Those who call schools anti-competitive should be clear and honest about what they mean, they should say loud and proud: we need more humiliation in schools.
Once they have been clear and honest about this I would like them to describe what that should look like in a classroom. People sitting in order of their last test score? The worst results being read out in assembly? Boards displaying the pictures of those who are failing, alongside those who succeed? Dunces caps? More children crying, more children cracking under the pressure?