Sports vs. Academics: Competition in US and Indian Public Schools

The one thing that all children learn in school is the important and role of competition in their life. The structures of most schools are set up to stress this value to children. In the US are academic competition is stressed, but the even more blatant form of completion comes from our participation in sporting events. The whole school culture in most public schools revolves around sporting events and the success of schools in sporting events. In India there is not the same sporting culture as in the US. Indian sports throughout the year have consisted of students playing during recess time in courtyard, but nothing formal.

This Monday at Bajipura there was a scheduled Cricket Match. As we watched my students asked me if the principal at schools in America also declare sports day. This got me thinking about how infused the schools culture is with sports. It is not just one sporting day but that nearly every day in US schools focuses on sports. During this day the ninth standard team was climbing into the finals as they defeated team after team and the final game was going to be against 12th standard to decide the school champions of this year. As I teach all ninth standard classes a swelled in pride watching my students lead their class to victory. Unlike in American schools where all the great athletes are well known throughout the school, wearing the uniforms on game days and having their names announced on the loud speaker for their achievements, in India it was surprising for me to see what students were the athletes. Unlike in America where the students growing popularity and social calendar is dictated by their success in sports, in India the only students that are well known are the students achieving academically, all other successes are secondary.

Ninth standard lost the final match, but these athletes had their day in the spotlight. The very next day there was a speech and quiz competition and then the athletics slipped out of the spotlight and again academics became our main focus. Just like the honor that US athletes receive at a pep rallies, my student Prutvi had the same glory as he stood up to deliver his speech in the speech competition. As he made his way to the stage the whole school roared in cheers and pride. The students from the other schools had stood up on stage and rushed as fast as possible through their monotone speeches. Prutvi made his way to stage with such confidence and poise. He welcomed the audience and spoke with zest and as he made point after point the whole audience nodded in approval. After he finished, the whole prayer hall exploded in applause. Next during the speech competition two more of my ninth standard students competed against two other schools. Let’s just say Bajipura Highschool was kicking butt during the quiz and the prayer hall was filled with pride and excitement as the two heroic students of ninth standard led the school to victory.

Although there was only one sporting day at Bajipura Highschool I have seen over five such quiz or speech competitions held. Can we even think about the number of events at US schools that revolve around sports? I remember each and every Friday night, in the fall, the parking lot of the school overflowing as the whole village came to cheer on the athletes of my High School. There were absolutely no academic events at my school that drew the same attention.

The scary part about completion in US schools is that it had deviated away from academic competition. I do not believe whole heartedly in the value of completion and its role in inspiring students, I rather more approve of students being self-motivated and realizing the contribution of their efforts and how it leads to their success. Competition will not leave our school culture, but I do wish that American students felt the same desire to be competitive to lead their school academically rather than on the sports field. Being first rank in your class in India is the biggest mark of popularity, rather than failing out of school but winning the most points for your school in the last sporting event like in the US. If we could make it cool for students to excel academically in the United States like it is cool in India, then our students could be unstoppable because not only would they be provided with a wealth of resources to pursue their academics, but they would actually be inspired to learn as well. Let the US learn from India and make it the biggest accomplishment to be in the first string of academic success, rather than being the first string quarter back.