Schools can foster a growth mindset in students without relying on cash rewards

Academic excellence in itself has a satisfying effect. I know this because I spent my entire primary and junior secondary school days topping my class effortlessly. I almost didn't need any encouragement to read because I knew that when I came out best, I was the one who would be congratulated and used as a reference for all my cousins. That alone was motivation for me to want to study hard and keep the first place in my name.

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I know I received gifts during end of the year parties and graduation ceremonies but none of them ended up being monetary. I was either given a textbook for my next class, or a new school uniform, or an award. These gifts in themselves didn't matter to me as much as walking out from my seat to the podium. That was where all the glory was for me.

Because I have never been given a monetary gift for academic excellence, I cannot say how exactly it would have influenced my academic stance, but I do know one thing; once a monetary gift starts, everything changes.

Giving monetary gifts is an excellent idea, but maybe only for events like competitions. Once it is introduced in schools, the competition will shift from just the children to even the parents as well.

Soon, It would become a do or die affair not because the child has an innate desire to excel or become more serious with his studies, but because that child wants to make money.

Consequently, It would make children money expectant and money driven. That would be their only reason for going to school. You may even hear parents begin to indulge them with “if you don't go to school today, there would be no money for you o” and the innocent child who is being subtly indoctrinated into a money centered mindset would hurry off for a few naira notes that he or she may not even get in the end.

In the long run, when the child changes school or environment, they would go with that mindset of ‘study hard for money’. If such practice is not being carried out in their new school or in the new schools around their environment, then the child will automatically lose interest in both schooling and excellence.

If a child wants to be encouraged into academic excellence, there are so many other rewards that can be used to encourage that child. For instance, when my younger brother was still in primary school, my father promised to get him the one thing he always whined about, a bicycle, if he came out first in his class.

At the end of that term, my brother came out third and came home crying. My father didn't say anything to him but the following day, he brought home his bicycle.

My older brother and I were agitated and when we asked my father why he went ahead to get the bicycle despite my brother's result, he said, “I saw him put in his best effort”.

That made my younger brother sit up even better than the previous term and he eventually moved up to the first position the very next term.

I learnt a lot from that experience.

I believe that each child should be rewarded according to their person, especially by the parents. If the schools decide to give monetary rewards then fine but when the child gets to the house, the parents too should learn to appreciate or encourage their children based on their personalities.

A big hug would mean lots more than money to some children, while others would want the money for themselves, other children would request gifts or a vacation instead of that cash.

If a child does well at school, let him or her be appreciated and encouraged with what will inspire him or her to do better. Sometimes all the children need to hear is, “You did it again, I am proud of you”. There is no rule that says they must be gifted all the time.

I believe a child ought to be taught the importance of money before being exposed to it. The parents can keep monetary gifts for that child in a saving bank or separate account but until a child is ready to handle money, he or she should not be enticed with it.

This early enticement is what gives birth to desperate measures by children and teenagers to get money. When I was growing up, looking for money was left to adults but now, even toddlers want their own money and parents indulge some of them.

Parents have a responsibility to keep their children's minds as pure as possible from certain constrictions because if they go wild, the blame still falls back to their homes.