Question

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

Model Answer

Adults are often encouraged to be competitive in order to get ahead at work. Does this mean children should be taught to compete from a young age so as to prepare them for the real world? Or should we encourage them to work together instead? I believe that as children are naturally competitive, more attention should be paid to teaching them to co-operate.

It is true that a competitive spirit helps children develop useful skills. For example, to be good at chess you need to think strategically and predict the moves your opponent will make. As an adult, these same skills are obviously useful when planning projects in the real world. Furthermore, being competitive often requires you to assess your ability relative to your opponent. This ability to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses, may help individuals get a promotion at work when they are older.

I believe however that as nearly all children are naturally competitive, there is no need to explicitly encourage competition. Due to its complexity, co-operation is a different proposition. Co-operation requires a child to visualise a goal, understand another child's situation and communicate ways in which they can help each other. Only by completing group projects at school, can children be taught to co-operate effectively. This skill can then be carried over into the workplace and enable individuals to work well in a team.

In conclusion, I believe that children should mostly be encouraged to co-operate with one another. This means that children will have a more complete set of skills than they otherwise might.

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