Princess Rapunzel and the title of excellence.

A certificate of merit for a third-grade student at a private school in Hanoi recognizes her... "with the title of 'Cloud-Haired Princess' and for all the sweet things she has brought to the school year."

The girl's mother said that every student in the class received similar certificates of merit. There was no pressure for grades, no pressure to excel, only warmth and genuine praise for the children.

During a boat trip up the river to a school in Dakrong ( Quang Tri province ), the school's accountant recounted that she took advantage of the trip to the lowlands to buy as many certificates of merit as possible, three to four times the number of students.

Because schools really need praise, not just at the end of the semester or year, but whenever students make progress. Not just praise for good grades, but also for diligence, punctuality, keeping hands clean, and being considerate of classmates... Praise helps children feel encouraged, happy, and enjoy going to school, encouraging them to compete with each other in their studies.

What about formal commendation? There are regulations in place, and schools and teachers have the autonomy and flexibility to make their own decisions.

There have been many changes in education regulations regarding student assessment, with an emphasis on regular evaluation of students' progress in abilities, attitudes, and emotions throughout their learning and development.

Praising students shouldn't just focus on the final results; it requires teachers to support and encourage the child's efforts and progress.

There are also many other regulations aimed at personalizing education, valuing and encouraging the different strengths of each student. High-achieving students are not only those who excel in literature and mathematics, but can also be outstanding in art, physical education, extracurricular activities, sharing and helping friends, discipline, or a sense of responsibility...

However, most parents today are only concerned with the final result: the certificate of merit with titles like "good" or "excellent." And from a scientific perspective, it's difficult to have many students who excel in all areas, even though the requirements for elementary school students aren't very demanding.

This is why parents are disappointed by the "H" (the child only completed the task but not did it well), resulting in the child "failing to excel." "Excellence" inadvertently becomes the sole goal that children must strive for and achieve at all costs.

It's no longer genuine praise, it doesn't bring happiness, warmth, or sweetness anymore, but rather stressful pressure.

Unfortunately, the agencies, organizations, and associations promoting education and talent have not updated their regulations on evaluating and rewarding students to offer more diverse and realistic forms of recognition that could encourage more children. Everywhere we look, we only see praise for students with excellent or outstanding academic achievements.

Having too many talented and outstanding students in a class can lead to skepticism and criticism of the education system. Similarly, the absence of an outstanding student, or even just one less excellent student, can make the school and teachers targets of criticism.

All these manifestations point to a mentality of chasing after superficial things that is ever-present and amplified by society as a whole.

No one asks children: Do you prefer the title "Rapunzel" or "excellent student"?

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cong-chua-toc-may-va-danh-hieu-xuat-sac-20240601094328546.htm