Why Failure is on the Path to Success - Essay Example

But, what value is education if students are not fully prepared to go out into the world and discover a career that they can be successful at? The truth is that the option to fail students is an important part of a quality education system. Mary Sherry, in “In Praise of the F Word,” argues for the idea that students must be flunked if they are not up to standard. There are three reasons why the choice to fail a student must be present: the fear of failure, and competition, lead to a better quality student, education is worthless if a student does not develop sufficient career skills, and failure can sometimes be inevitable in order for a student to achieve success.

The choice to fail students must be an option because the fear of failure, and competition, lead to a better quality student. The majority of students do not possess the ability to motivate themselves from within. There are of course the rare few who have the natural ability to always excel at any task that they perform. If students are not given clear boundaries and expectations, then they are likely to meander without a goal or vision. If a student is not permitted to fail, then there is no incentive to excel.

It is then good enough just to survive through school while not learning anything to a high degree. Almost every student would not voluntarily choose to fail, so if the option is presented to them, then they will certainly do everything to avoid it. Learning to compete and strive for excellence at all times is actually beneficial to a student because with enough guidance, they can motivate themselves enough to actually succeed. Just like in Communist countries, where everyone receives the same pay no matter the profession, there is no incentive to actually improve because it is possible to get by with just doing the bare minimum.

Another reason why failure must be considered an option is because education is worthless if a student does not develop sufficient career skills. A few hundred years ago, the education institutions that are in place today were not yet founded. The majority of the population was uneducated, and thus could not rise in the economic ladder. When education began, the whole purpose was to equip people with skills that they could use to uplift themselves. If students do not possess the knowledge required after receiving an education, then their teachers, and the education system as a whole, have ultimately failed them.

Not only that letting students pass who have not truly earned their qualifications not only deceives the student, but any employer that is considering hiring them. As Mary Sherry says in “In Praise of the F Word,” “passing students who have not mastered the work cheats them and the employers who expect graduates to have basic skills.” Finally, failure must be on the table because failure can sometimes be inevitable in order for a student to achieve success. There are some students who are naturally gifted, and education is a breeze to them.

That is all fine and good, and those students should be encouraged to go as far as they can. However, the vast majority of students do not know how to succeed because they are not naturally gifted. These students often fail simply because they are unsure of how to succeed. But, failing makes up a significant part of their education process because only once they fail do they realize what it takes to succeed. If failure is not an option, then they may appear to succeed, but will their appeared success help them at all?

As Thomas Edison once said, failing is only finding one way that does not succeed. Once failures are eliminated, then success can be reached. Most people are afraid of failure, and rightly so, but