The Wussification of Education

Honor rolls emphasize grades too much, so says Principal Paul Richards of Needham High School in Needham, MA (near Boston).

Richards said publishing of the honor roll represented "an unhealthy focus on grades." He pointed out that there are lots of other ways that students achieve, such as in clubs, musicals, concerts, athletics and community service.

He said the ranking of students solely based on grades goes against the school's overall mission which is to "promote learning."

While achievement in other areas is certainly worthy of mention and attention in the local press, getting good grades should be the mission of the school and the students. Getting good grades, by definition, promotes learning.

Furthermore, honor rolls also are the single most democratic of honors since anyone can get them with some hard work and study. Other forms of excellence described by Mr. Richards are not nearly as democratic. Athletic excellence is often possessed by only a few people, so the star quarterback or running back gets press, but not the center of the football team. A leading scorer on a soccer team or basketball team will get recognition, but not the kid who goes out and practices hard everyday and gets maybe 10 minutes of playing time and never scores a goal or a more than a baseket. Musical talent is likewise rare and usually the stars of the school play are recognized, but not the bit part player who tried hard and spent hours working on sets while the principal actors rehearsed. Finally, when was the last time you saw the chess club or the math club featured in local newspapers?

While Principal Richards may tout that excellence comes in many forms, my bet is that he generally "promotes" sports and rarely anything else. A quick perusal through the archives of the Needham Times doesn't show a great deal of the "other ways that students achieve" being highlighted.

Of course, we could blame the local media for failing to cover these other events, but I am likewise certain that the school does not do a good job, if it makes any effort at all, of highlighting other activies at the school. I heard the best description of this move on the radio this morning, "the wussification" of America coupled with the "dumbing down" of education.

Where will the stupidity and the inanity end?