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Everywhere today, we find that energetic and bright students are not so enthusiastic about education. This is predominantly due to the fact that adults do not have a comprehensive view of learning and tend to stress on the idea that real learning is a frustrating, challenging and difficult preposition. There is a lot of focus on test scores which has made students study for results rather than learn for knowledge.

There is no doubt that a culture that motivates people to experiment with products and ideas must be brought about to ensure that there is innovation. Vacuum never lead to innovation. Novel ideas and original thinking must be honored and affirmed to ensure that we are moving in the right direction.

Students must be motivated to learn how to take intellectual risks and assess in their course work by educators. Students must be prepared to be original in thinking and to be competent and this should be the goal of education.

Experts feel that teachers are parents today are foolishly encouraged to bolster self confidence of children without any merit. Children today are reluctant to do their best as they are praised for average performance when they should be encouraged to excel. This has led to a vacuum in innovation.

Students today are led to believe that it is enough for them to perform moderately to be praised today. So, there is no need to be creative or to strive for perfection. The situation today is such that even without achieving anything substantial, students tend to consider themselves very important. They are vain enough to think they are achievers without having done anything to earn recognition. This can only be detrimental to the growth of our country.

Experts also feel that self esteem is misunderstood. Due to this, we as a society are being inhibited from recognizing the benefits of self confidence and esteem and are at a loss as to identifying ways to build it.

Self esteem is the motivating factor that helps students to pursue their goals. This characteristic must be distinguished from narcissism and ego and students must be encouraged to develop this trait.

It is a good idea to in fact incorporate self esteem as a topic of study in higher education system. This can be done in pre-school and if not at least in elementary school.

Focusing on test scores has another downside namely grade inflation. “A” is the grade usually awarded in American universities and colleges. This grade gives students a sense of hyper-competence.

Even mediocre students have a bloated sense of competency and this collective fantasy is shared by many. This corrupt grading negates any possibility for positive change in our system. Rather than encouraging students to study better, it is only creating lethargy and a misplaced self satisfaction.

Some states are contemplating on indexing university funding to student performance. This is like pouring oil on grade inflation bonfire where the high performing and average students both receive the same high grade.