There's Nothing Unhealthy About Competition
Written by Brian Garst, Posted in Education
Political Correctness run amok in Kentucky:
School districts in Kentucky are beginning to move away from naming valedictorians for graduating classes.
Instead, districts such as the one in Bullitt County have plans to de-emphasize what could be seen as unhealthy competition and recognize all high achievers.
Most everything in life is competition. We compete for jobs. We compete for status. We compete for love. We compete for fun. In many ways, competition seems paramount in human existence – or for life in general, really. Competition is not unhealthy – though like anything in life, it can be done in an unhealthy way. But I don’t see much argument that a simple ranking is an unhealthy form of competition. And what is the purpose of school if it excludes opportunities for learning about something so fundamental?
Moreover, this may also harm the ability of top performing students to get into the universities of their choice, another aspect of life that is unquestionably competitive. All around, just another example of silly political correctness overwhelming good sense.
I serve as Vice President of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, a non-profit think tank dedicated to preserving tax competition and free markets. This site features my personal views, which are not reflective of CF&P.