Some people feel that students perform better in school when they are rewarded, while some others feel that they perform better when they are punished. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

The idea of school is a modern one. Education was considered less important among students for much of human history and furthermore rewarding them to perform better was never appreciated; until then the twentieth century that it became less commonplace. While this practice might seem to be a less-than-favourable one, it offers a plethora of benefits to children that cannot be overlooked. The application of punishment may help boost children’s academic performance. This is because verbally berating a child, especially in front of the entire class might cause shame and guilt. Feeling mortified in front of their friends could act as a catalyst towards better grades in school. Another method of discipline, corporal punishment, causes pain and fear, which can be motivators as children want to avoid being punished again, and they will study harder. Moreover, by revoking privileges such as phones, playtime and recess, they could understand that access has to be earned by good grades, and because children like recreational activities, they would do whatever it takes to get those back. Thus, the punishment could motivate children to perform better at school. However, rewarding pupils will help improve their performance and sustain their improvement over time. Most importantly, material rewards such as prizes, trophies, certificates, toys and food are effective motivators because children love gifts and thus they will be motivated to work hard to receive even more gifts in the future. In addition, verbal praise and encouraging words make children feel happy, confident and proud, and such children will repeat the behaviour that caused them to be praised. Furthermore, physical affection such as patting them, hugging and kissing foreheads makes them feel valued, appreciated and loved. Because children seek validation and love, they would study hard to gain parental approval repeatedly. Therefore, rewarding children is a far more effective method of boosting and sustaining academic improvements. In conclusion, it is evident that while punishment might improve children’s scores momentarily, incorporating a rewards-based system is far more likely to not only improve their scholastic performance but also motivate children to keep maintaining their good grades. If we truly wish for children to perform their very best, we should do away with punishment as a disciplinary tool.