I Want Your Opinion My nephew is 14, and he is away at a residential program where he also...

acpguy · C

Yes and very well as I can attest to that. I went to a very rigid private school that required an entrance exam tougher than colleges gave at the time and the average IQ for all the students was 132. They had a policy if your grades slipped below an A (3.5 GPA) then you would not be asked back the following semester. Their PE class which was every other day for all four years was like military training for that time and you were expected to be on one type of sports team for the school. We were typically #1 in the state for football, basketball, baseball and swimming. If we were #2 then we would consider it not winning as it should be.

Today the candy ass liberal schools give awards for failure which only encourages kids turning out to be snowflakes like we see a lot of today along with children that are grossly overweight due to poor or non-existent phys ed in schools today.

grayhalo · 41-45, M

It's a method. While it can work, to me that breeds resentment. If they don't give any kind of positive reinforcement, I hope that at least the students are allowed to encourage each other.

b22065 · 46-50, M

I object to the idea that "Even though you are lower than average, your still a superstar". The world is a tough and nasty place.

When I failed the Presidential Fitness test in school, it made me try harder. I someone had said, "it's okay, you're still a good person, and it's only a silly test" I might have quit trying.

SW-User

I think most studies have shown positive reinforcement to be more effective to change behaviors.

NightTimeWolf · M

That is just wrong. There should be praise for doing well and encouragement to keep trying. Guidance is the thing, not being hard.

Quetzalcoatlus · 46-50, M

Teens tend to exaggerate so I wouldn’t be so quick to react.

firefall · 61-69, M

I think it's an excellent way of breeding soulless & selfish people, who are very good at sticking to the letter of the law.

I'm glad it's working for him, and I can see for a certain class of children it would work well, but as a general rule it would be terribly damaging.

FORMERLYbatovn · 61-69, M

I would think it would not be for everyone....but it certainly would be very effective with some people. Those who lack self esteem or self worth would struggle(at least for a while) with it. I certainly agree that good behavior should be the expected norm...

Wol62 · 51-55, M

They want to toughen him up right? I am not sure if it works, but it must get results or else the school would have shut down a long time ago. Is he enjoying it though?

DunningKruger · 61-69, M

Punitive puritanism.

bijouxbroussard · F

Seems like the reverse of, “If you can’t say anything positive, don’t say anything.” Hearing nothing but complaints would be demoralizing until one learned how to fly under the radar. That’s not so much being good, it’s avoiding trouble.

SWisGoingWoke · M

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