Is competition harmful to students?

Winning isn't everything. In fact, at some schools, it doesn't even exist. As schools incorporate social and emotional learning into their curricula, some have de-emphasized or outright eliminated competition for fear that it harms students' self-esteem.

At Plainview Community Middle School, in Plainview, Indiana, any student who wants to be part of any extracurricular group is immediately accepted, as all fifty-six members of the wrestling team will tell you. Other schools have done away with aggressive gym games such as dodgeball or have eliminated the highly coveted honors of valedictorian and salutatorian. But opponents to these kinds of actions believe healthy competition teaches kids important lessons about goals and teamwork and helps prepare them for the struggles they'll face in college and beyond. Is competition demoralizing, or desirable, for today's students? Tell us what you think!