Editing Competition (section)

== Education ==
{{Main|Competition-based learning}}
Competition is a major factor in education. On a global scale, national education systems, intending to bring out the best in the next generation, encourage competitiveness among students through [[scholarships]]. Countries such as England and Singapore have [[special education]] programmes which cater for specialist students, prompting charges of [[academic elitism]]. Upon receipt of their academic results, students tend to compare their grades to see who is better. In severe cases, the pressure to perform in some countries is so high that it can result in stigmatization of intellectually deficient students, or even suicide as a consequence of failing the exams. Critics of competition as a motivating factor in education systems, such as [[Alfie Kohn]], assert that competition actually has a net negative influence on the achievement levels of students, and that it "turns all of us into losers".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kohn |first=Alfie |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1007073234 |title=No contest : the case against competition |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-395-63125-6 |location=Boston |oclc=1007073234}} {{Page needed|date=September 2022}}</ref> Economist [[Richard Layard]] has commented on the harmful effects, stating "people feel that they are under a great deal of pressure. They feel that their main objective in life is to do better than other people. That is certainly what young people are being taught in school every day. And it's not a good basis for a society."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Salitto |first=David |date=12 April 2011 |title=What really makes us happy? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-13052639 |url-status=live |access-date=2022-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302213504/https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-13052639 |archive-date=2 March 2022}}</ref>

However, other studies such as the [[Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking]] show that the effect of competition on students depends on each individual's level of [[Agency (philosophy)|agency]]. Students with a high level of agency thrive on competition, are self-motivated, and are willing to risk failure. Compared to their counterparts who are low in agency, these students are more likely to be flexible, adaptable and creative as adults.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Conti|first1=Regina|title=The impact of competition on intrinsic motivation and creativity: Considering gender, gender segregation and gender role orientation|date=December 2001|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223760263|journal=Personality and Individual Differences|volume=31|issue=8|pages=1273–1289|doi=10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00217-8|last2=Picariello|first2=Martha|last3=Collins|first3=Mary}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Eisenberg|first1=Jacob|title=The Effects of Competition on Improvisers' Motivation, Stress, and Creative Performance|date=16 April 2012|journal=Creativity Research Journal|volume=23|issue=2|pages=129–136|doi=10.1080/10400419.2011.571185|issn=1040-0419|last2=Thompson|first2=William Forde|s2cid=144893872}}</ref>