Some people think that a sense of competition in children should be encouraged. Others believe that children who are taught to cooperate rather than compete become more useful adults. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. v.35

It is argued by some that teaching children to be cooperative and compliant helps them in becoming successful adults, while others are of the opinion that being competitive plays a major role. In my opinion, while having an ambitious and competing outlook does have a few benefits, there are comparatively more drawbacks to it. This essay will discuss both sides of the argument and explain my support for the latter view with relevant examples. It is believed that encouraging students to compete with each other makes them study harder. This is majorly due to the fact that, in many schools, pupils who excel in academics and sports are popular and favoured by teachers. For instance, a child who has performed well in his/her class has more chances of being selected for a scholarship or a football enthusiast, performing well in interschool competitions is picked up by a sports academy. On the other hand, training children to be more adaptive and cooperative relieves them of the strain that a competitive attitude can cause. It is also beneficial to them in the long run, considering adaptability and teamwork are skills that are preferred by employers when hiring. For example, throughout the school phase my parents always guided me into teamwork with classmates. This significantly helped me realise my goals and calmly work towards achieving them. In conclusion, although there are chances that favourable goals are achieved by kids who are encouraged to compete, it is still outweighed by the physical and mental stress it causes. In my opinion, it is better to train them to adapt and cooperate, skills that are very useful in adulthood.