New Zealand
Breakfast

Breakfast's Daniel Faitaua blames 'helicopter parents' for school cancelling prizegiving

November 16, 2018

Breakfast newsreader Daniel Faitaua blames ‘helicopter parents’ after an Auckland school cancelled its prizegiving to boost the self-motivation of students and move away from rankings.

Breakfast newsreader Daniel Faitaua blames ‘helicopter parents’ after an Auckland school cancelled its prizegiving to boost the self-motivation of students and move away from ranking them.

The decision of Silverdale Primary School north of Auckland to do away with its prizegiving has divided the Breakfast panel, with Faitaua reserving the strongest criticism for what he felt was the real issue.

“Do you know what I really think it is? It’s the ‘helicopter parents’ out there, it’s the parents that are probably upset that their child didn’t get an award, start a little wee group and then take it to the school and say ‘look, we’re not happy,’ and the school’s like okay” Faitaua said.

The school’s principal, Cameron Lockie, wrote in the school newsletter about the cancellation, saying it was counterproductive to reward and rank the children, which he called “ultimately destructive”, the NZ Herald reported.

"Children are likely to become enthusiastic, lifelong learners as a result of being provided with an engaging curriculum; a safe, caring community in which to discover and create; and a significant degree of choice about what, and how and why, they are learning," Mr Lockie wrote.

He cited research which showed that rewards and external incentives undermined intrinsic motivation and that missing out on awards “spurs boredom, anger or resentment”.

Faitaua added that missing out being rewarded at prizegiving was preparation for life.

“I still think get used to it, that is life,” he said

“It’s very young to be instilling this self-doubt in like a six or seven-year-old who has still achieved but not necessarily as well as some of their peers,” Matty McLean weighed in. 

SHARE ME

More Stories