Trading freedom for safety leads to humans who cannot handle adversity.
Teaching children that life is about acquiring rewards and approval from authority leads them to a life searching for things out in the world that can only be found within.
I was compelled into classrooms for 13 years, the training held and I enslaved myself to a few more years. I considered going into education at that time, but quickly realized how much I had despised the system I had been subject to and turned it into a game.
I speak to the above behavior modification chart as a student. I was a clever clown (I guess I still am) who could be cruel when he saw manipulation like this (still working on that part). I would have targeted the kids at the top of the chart with ridicule with the stated goal of living in the “Try Again” zone. My friends would be in on it and that position would become the spot of pride. Each time we complied with the teacher it would be with a wink and sly sabotage of his/her authority.
By fifth grade I played this game every day. By high school I was a subterfuge bully. Smart enough to get the grades and stay out of trouble, appeasing authority. Cruel enough to undercut that authority and anyone who supported it.
I take full responsibility for the monster I became. Some children feed off reward systems for a time, maybe a lifetime, but I don’t see how it can lead to the flourishing of individuals. Just look at the format, it’s a caste system, individuals suborned to their category. And how about “Good Day” being the largest category? If a child is looking for a “safe space,” it has been illustrated for them how to behave.
God bless and thank you for reading,
Jason