It has been a trend for some schools to treat the academic toppers with a tea party or lunch. I wonder if this is a good idea and a practice. Although giving treats will have a booster effect on the few academic toppers, it will spur negative feeling of being left out in the majority of the underperformers. It is an indication of disparity and inequality in the way students are treated by a school. It sidelines, demotivates and draws a stark line between the academic achievers and slow learners. I am sure the students who did not get to be treated the way the toppers were treated would have felt neglected.This practice, I believe is much against some of the principles of 'Transformative Pedagogy (TP)'. The TP training introduced the idea of the importance of group success over individual or success of few. It also introduced the idea of 'Sink or swim together'. But celebrating the success and achievement of few does not go well with these principles. If schools extend different levels of treatment to students, then the school is not being unconditional in treating the students. Lopsided treatment will bring negative energy in the school and create a unbalanced social climate.
Some believe that it is a reinforcement gesture to push the already academically sound students to further limits, I am little too skeptical about this idea. I think students who are struggling with academic performance need more reinforcement. They need more support, motivation and reinforcement, Could we concentrate the reinforcement practices equally on students who are struggling?
While my argument appears to be more in favor of underperformers I do not mean that academically sound students should be neglected. They too need motivation factors. But my point is there should be a trade-off.
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