COLUMN: Think Again – Academic awards are a good thing

Another school year has come and gone, and high school graduates are taking their first steps into the real world. Graduation ceremonies mark an important milestone—one that often includes recognizing students with academic awards.

These awards are typically based on scholastic achievement. In many cases, they come with scholarship money that can total thousands of dollars. For students facing financial barriers, receiving a scholarship can be life changing. Yet some progressive educators believe it’s time to do away with traditional academic awards altogether.

A recent CTV story featured a professor from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) who argued that these awards do more harm than good. According to this professor, schools should place more emphasis on effort than on results, and traditional awards promote unhealthy competition that undermines student motivation.

To be clear, effort matters. No student succeeds without putting in the work, and perseverance should be encouraged at every stage of learning. But when it comes to recognizing achievement at graduation, outcomes still count. Awards are meant to honour those who reach the highest standards, not merely those who try.

The call to abolish awards is nothing new. Progressive educators have been making similar demands for decades. One of the most prominent voices is American education theorist Alfie Kohn.

In his 1993 book Punished by Rewards, Kohn argues that academic awards are manipulative and counterproductive. He believes students should be intrinsically motivated—that is, inspired by a love of learning rather than the promise of external recognition. Kohn goes so far as to call for the complete elimination of academic awards in schools.

But what sounds appealing in theory doesn’t always work in practice. Like everyone else, students respond to incentives. If external rewards were genuinely ineffective, we wouldn’t offer bonuses or promotions in the workplace. We wouldn’t pay people to do jobs at all. But we do—because incentives work.

Recognizing top students at graduation sends an important message: academic excellence matters. There’s a significant difference between a student who earns top marks and one who barely passes. Both may graduate, but the student who excelled has demonstrated greater discipline, perseverance and understanding.

Beyond honouring individual achievement, academic awards serve a very practical function. Post-secondary education in Canada is expensive, and scholarships tied to academic performance can be a vital source of financial support. For students from low-income families, these awards may be the only viable path to higher education.

Taking away these opportunities would remove an essential tool for social mobility and punish the very students who have worked the hardest. That’s not equity—it’s a disservice.

Of course, many progressive educators would prefer to see post-secondary education fully subsidized for all students. That may be a worthy goal, but we don’t live in that world, at least not yet. Until that day comes, it’s critical that we reward academic success and support students who have earned the opportunity to continue their studies.

The value of academic awards goes beyond the applause at a graduation ceremony. These awards represent real achievement and open doors for students who might otherwise be left behind. They affirm that working hard, striving for excellence and pushing oneself still matter. Obviously, we want to send the message that excellence pays off in school, and it’s a good pattern to set for later in life too.

So, when you attend a graduation ceremony, celebrate the accomplishments of every student. But when the names of the award winners are read, take a moment to applaud a little longer. They didn’t just finish school—they stood out. They earned this extra recognition.

Michael Zwaagstra is a high school teacher and deputy mayor of Steinbach. He can be reached at mzwaagstra@shaw.ca.