Warning over narcissistic pupils

[Newbunkle]

The growing expectation placed on schools and parents to boost pupils' self-esteem is breeding a generation of narcissists, an expert has warned.

Dr Carol Craig said children were being over-praised and were developing an "all about me" mentality.

She said teachers increasingly faced complaints from parents if their child failed a spelling test or did not get a good part in the school pantomime.

Schools needed to reclaim their role as educators, not psychologists, she said.

Dr Craig, who is chief executive of the centre for confidence and well-being in Scotland, was speaking at the Association of School and College Leaders conference in Birmingham.

Negative characteristic

She told head teachers the self-esteem agenda, imported from the United States, was a "a big fashionable idea" that had gone too far.

She said an obsession with boosting children's self-esteem was encouraging a narcissistic generation who focussed on themselves and felt "entitled".

"Narcissists make terrible relationship partners, parents and employees. It's not a positive characteristic. We are in danger of encouraging this," she said.

"And we are kidding ourselves if we think that we aren't going to undermine learning if we restrict criticism.

"Parents no longer want to hear if their children have done anything wrong. This is the downside of the self-esteem agenda.

"I'm not saying it's of no value… but you get unintentional consequences."

Parental responsibility

Since 2007, there has been a statutory responsibility on schools in England to improve pupils' well-being and primary and secondary schools are increasingly teaching social and emotional skills.

Indeed it is possible that Ofsted inspectors will soon appraise schools' performance in this area; and well-being could be one of the measures used in the school report card system that the government wants to introduce.

But Dr Craig told head teachers that this was not the role of schools.

"Schools have to hold out that they are educational establishments," she said.

"They are not surrogate psychologists or mental health professionals."

Learning about feelings from a professional in a classroom did not send out a positive message, she added.

And she warned there was a danger the more schools taught emotional well-being, the less parents would take responsibility.

"We run the risk of undermining the family as the principle agent of sociability," she said.

BBC

Ugh. I'd never even heard of this until now.

 

[Abaddon]

Makes sense. Kids should be able to fail.

 

[Mowque]

So THAT is why I passed...

 

[Godwynn]

My professors should realize how awesome I am.

 

[Annex]

Its all Mr. Rogers' fault. Him and his "you are special" bs.

But seriously I do agree with the article, especially the last part.

 

[Slaughter]

Self-Steem?

What's that?

 

[Bigfoot3814]

She told head teachers the self-esteem agenda, imported from the United States, was a "a big fashionable idea" that had gone too far.

It's stupid. This is the touchy-feeliness I've hated since middle school. In the words of Samuel L. Jackson, "I've been saying that [stuff] for years."

 

[Shadylookin]

Life was so much better when you were just a number and no one cared about your feelings

 

[AL_DA_GREAT]

To many people today are whimps. If they don't win they start to cry. I think every kid should be sent to a camp to become tuffer.

 

[Mowque]

To many people today are whimps. If they don't win they start to cry. I think every kid should be sent to a camp to become tuffer.

Sometimes, I'm so wimpy I cry when I win...

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Life was so much better when you were just a number and no one cared about your feelings

Isn't that how they treat you as a university applicant?

 

[Annex]

Isn't that how they treat you as a university applicant?

Hell, thats how I was treated as a freshman
Made me a better individual!

 

[Yeekim]

"Schools have to hold out that they are educational establishments," she said.
"They are not surrogate psychologists or mental health professionals."

Is there a petition I can sign?

 

[Arwon]

Oh noes, KIDS THESE DAYS!

 

[Bill3000]

Wait, wait wait.

There were teenagers who were not narcissists?

 

[Camikaze]

I'm not a narcissist. I really am that brilliant.

 

[Elear]

Wait, wait wait.

There are teenagers who have not been narcissists?

Very true. I think it is just about a given, though some are worse than others. Some mature out of it (and some earlier than others). Others don't.

 

[admiral-bell]

Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.

I think this applies.

 

[Azale]

Some of the article is correct, but I think the actual problem is overblown! Either that or we really are getting progressively worse with every generation.

Oh well

 

[Gilder]

So, where was all this self-esteem stuff when I was going through middle and high school as an awkward kid?