A narcissistic generation?

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by skysidhe

I am also wondering why this is a new idea in the U.K. What was the U.K. school body like before our narcisstic tendencies invaded their psyche's? (sp?)

Highly competitive. I recall primary school used to divide us into Houses and have lots of interhouse contests. Prizes for competition and/or academic success only ever awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. You weren't in the top 3 there was no recognition to speak of. Liberal use of red pens to mark work (this apparently not allowed now as it is considered demotivating), gold stars and black marks, merit and demerit registers. Public humiliation of kids that weren't doing well (not exactly 'sanctioned' as a teaching method but fairly endemic within the system). If, for example, you were struggling with maths or English, you might be put into a 'special class'. There was no real attempt made to mitigate the obvious humliation of such a thing, if anything it was waved about practically like some kind of sanction. Kids were often called stupid, thick, or told they'd never amount to anything. The idea was, I think, to toughen them up and shock them into trying.

Work being handed back in such a way that ensured everyone was aware of how everyone else was doing *rolls eyes*, including very demonstrative returns of F-graded work. Tests for streaming wold rank kids within their class.


What there wasn't, and I think this might be where some of the changes have come in in a positive way, was a parrallel merit system that recognised difference in capacity, potential and kinds of intelligence in kids, Didn't take account of value-added measures either: no recognition for example of a child who came into the school way behind their peers and then dragged themselves up to just behind their peers...that's an achievement worthy of recognition, but it doesn't fit into a 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place mentality.

I've seen in schools now, there is a tendency to award prizes for everything from having a good attitude to good improvements in reading. I am inclined to think this is probably a positive development, and frankly if we end up with a group of kids who are a little self-centred, that's probably not any worse than the legions of children who've been sent back out into the world with a damaged sense of their own worth under the older systems of teaching.

@ Sky: the reason it says it comes from America, is because it derives from an American school of thought in teaching theory. There has been a conscious attempt to bring in changes in keeping with those theories. It peaked my interest, because some American dwellars had characterised American education in those terms a couple of years ago.