Is Competition Necessary for Success?

WHOSE purpose are we fulfilling in Seventh-day Adventist education? This question haunts me. I am an educator in the Seventh-day Ad­ventist system of educa­tion, the wife of a Sev­enth-day Adventist min­ister, and the mother of five adult Seventh-day Adventists. All of my teaching has been done in the schools of our denomination. From the days in Emman­uel Missionary College when I sat at the feet of consecrated teachers to learn the principles of true education as set forth in the Bible and the teachings of the Spirit of Prophecy, there has never been any doubt in my mind as to the rightness and the wisdom of the directions given us.

When engrossed in graduate work at a State university, how thankful I was for the steadying assurance of guidelines that stood out indeed as a great rock in a weary land. How sorry I felt for those hon­est teachers who were groping and search­ing for foundation principles on which to base their philosophy of education.

Educating for Which World?

With what certainty we have repeated through the years, "It [true education] is the harmonious development of the physi­cal, the mental, and the spiritual powers. It prepares the student for the joy of serv­ice in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come."—Education, p. 13. But I find myself wonder­ing if we are really fulfilling all the objec­tives of such an education and our obliga­tion to the youth in our care. In a world that is feeling the tempest of stormy philosophies, the whirling winds of scien­tific advance, and the breathtaking changes in technology with the potential changes in ways of living, how shall we best prepare them for service? Are we edu­cating them for this world, or the other world? Where will their citizenship be?

To my mind the greatest advance in educational thinking today is the recogni­tion of the need of planning for the in­dividual needs of the school population, the worth of the individual to his society and the obligation to develop the resources of each individual.

I quote from the National Education Association's Report on Instruction. The question is asked:

How should the school and the classroom be or­ganized to make the most effective use of the time and talents of students and teachers? The vertical organization of the school should provide for the continuous, unbroken, upward progression of all learners, with due recognition of the wide variability among learners in every respect of their development. The school organization should, therefore, provide for differential rates and means of progression to­ward achievement of educational goals. Nongrad­ing and multigrading are promising alternatives to the traditional graded school, and should be given careful consideration in seeking to provide flexible programs, plans geared to human variability.

A Price Tag on Attitudes

This recognition of the worth of the in­dividual and the power of his thinking has changed many of the approaches to train­ing in business and industry, as well as for military tactics. How should these ad­vances influence Adventist approaches to education? What price tag shall Seventh-day Adventists put on attitudes? Where can they be purchased for your child?

What influences bear upon the develop­ment of these young people? Could it be that we may have lost sight of some of the most important tasks in education? Are we working at cross purposes when we teach the traffic in competition of this world by our practices, yet try to instill in them the service badge of Christianity? There was a significant statement in the notes of the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly for the senior lesson of December 13, 1966. I quote: " 'As Christ the Pattern is constantly kept before the mind's eye, new habits will be formed, . . . old habits of thought will be constantly resisted, love for the su­premacy will be seen in its real, despic­able character, and will be overcome.' "­Our High Calling, p. 99. (Italics sup­plied.)

Removing Competitive Practices

When asked by the General Conference Department of Education to conduct this experiment in nongraded approach to ed­ucation, we searched anew the guidelines for Christian education, and decided to remove all competitive practices and teach in their place the privilege and the re­sponsibility each pupil had to improve his talents to the best of his ability. Also to provide ways in which he could experience the joys of service to others as he learned.

If ever there were any justification for rating one pupil against another this would surely disappear when he was ex­pected to do the work that fitted his indi­vidual capacity and needs. This has been the usual conclusion of the public school officials who have gone into the nongraded organization of curriculum. Strangely enough, it is the public school educators who have been most vocal in their acclaim over our operating such a school here in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Transformation in Attitudes Seen

In answer to our prayerful searching of ways and means to eliminate in every way the measuring of ourselves among our­selves, which is not wise, as mentioned in the book Education, page 226, we have found heartening results. Over and over again we have seen the transformation in attitudes toward life in general that have taken place—we have seen the surge to greater advance academically in the pupil who has been discouraged into lethargy because of his inability to compete successfully with some "brighter" one. We have seen his kindness and thoughtfulness grow charmingly, we have felt the con­tented atmosphere of acceptance for each individual, with no place for contempt or ridicule. We have noted with joy the toler­ance and patience developed in the bright students as they encouraged the troubled ones. We have seen the eagerness for serv­ice with no anticipation of special recogni­tion. We have witnessed the calmness and assurance of success where each pupil can experience success. The ordinary discipline problems have melted away as each one found himself accepted and worthy of an-other's attention. And the experience has been a happy one. Let me illustrate:

Johnny's mother brought him to us from another church outside the area, which necessitated his boarding with a family here. She felt there was a desperate need —and there was! He was a fine physical specimen, but with a boastful attitude to cover his painful lack of knowledge; a spoiled, only child who had bluffed his way through school till inwardly he was a discouraged failure. When he found warmth and acceptance and successful working conditions he began to feel secu­rity because of a solid foundation upon which he could build. The joy with which he announced that he had read a complete book—the first one he had ever finished in his life—and the gleam in his eye when he found he could work out story prob­lems in arithmetic, were rewarding to see. But what really gladdened our hearts was his transformation of attitude and per­formance. Gone was the arrogance and in its place a charming, friendly willingness to serve, which made him a general favor­ite. How thankful his parents have been to see the transformation. When he left last spring, his eyes shone with happiness as he declared he was coming to this school just as long as he could. Johnny's experi­ence is not an isolated one.

We feel that we have put to the test the admonition of the servant of the Lord—and have been repaid a hundredfold in happy results.

What About Competition in Church Activities?

But what really puzzles me is how to har­monize the work we are doing with the references to competitive rating we see in the printed promotional materials report

ing the activities of the church. Do we really mean what we say, or could there be a better way? For instance: "---------------- leads  the union in sales records," and references to the Sabbath school classes that have the highest offerings, et cetera.

As a worker's wife I have been exposed to boastings among our fellow workers­boastings of records of baptisms, et cetera. How many times have records been estab­lished at the cost of thorough preparation for this holy rite? I wonder if we have really reached our objectives in Christian educa­tion?

It has been very interesting here to ob­serve the change in parental attitude from anxiety that their child should top the list, to one of studying their child's needs and being engrossed in his reaching new goals applicable to his needs.

Our Citizenship Rating

We have also talked with those who feel strongly that the young pupil should get active experience with competition since he will "have to compete when he gets out in the world." I wonder if this is really true. What did Jesus mean when He said, "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it"? And what of the truly great men of this world, like Albert Schweitzer, George Washington Carver, and many others? Just what is success, after all?

We are nearing the end of the way, and soon we shall hope to stand in the heavenly kingdom—but what of our citizenship rat­ing there? Will we be fitted for that life if we cherish competitive rating of our service records here? I wonder!