In Suzanne Collins’ ​“The Hunger Games,” the dystopian world of Panem is captivated by a brutal competition where participants must outlast their peers in a fight for survival. This depiction, though set in a fictional realm, resonates disturbingly with the competitive ethos prevalent in today’s college education systems. 

Panem comprises twelve districts ruled by the Capitol. Each year, the Capitol selects a boy and girl from each district as ​“tributes” to participate in a televised death match known as the Hunger Games. These tributes must navigate a dangerous arena filled with deadly traps, engineered by the Game Makers who control the environment based on their whims. Maps of Panem and the arena play crucial roles in the strategy and movement of tributes, illustrating the controlled and perilous nature of their environment. The tributes seek sponsors who can send them critical supplies during the Games. The tributes must use their wits and survival skills to endure the Capitol’s brutal entertainment. Throughout the Games, alliances are formed and broken. The story highlights themes of survival, sacrifice, and the effects of totalitarianism. While the comparison might be a stretch, there are elements that can be instructive to us in rethinking and reimagining our current education system.

In today’s college education system in India, students are, much like the tributes of Panem, thrust into academic arenas armed, not with weapons, but with textbooks and lectures. Survival in these arenas hinges on outperforming one another rather than collaborating towards mutual success. The competitive framework of college education not only echoes the ruthless nature of the Hunger Games but also reveals profound implications about how educational systems shape student experiences and outcomes.

The battle begins: Classrooms as arenas

In many higher education institutions, the classroom serves as the initial battleground. Here, knowledge is dispensed not unlike the maps in the Hunger Games, outlining the treacherous terrain students must navigate. However, these maps (curricula) are often presented without adequate guidance on how to traverse the complex landscape. Students are expected to chart their paths independently, deciphering dense academic material and mastering intricate concepts with minimal support. This is especially true when instructors use classrooms only as venues to transmit factual information unidirectionally to students, and not as discussion forums where students are made to construct knowledge through interactions with instructors and peers. 

This approach favours those who, akin to tributes with sponsors, come equipped with prior advantages — be it through involved parents, superior preparatory education, or access to resources. Conversely, less fortunate students find themselves in a perpetual catch-up, misconstruing their struggles as personal failings rather than recognizing a need for different tools or strategies. 

Examinations as opportunities for demonstration

The metaphor extends poignantly to examinations, the quintessential arenas where academic fate is often decided. These assessments can resemble the Hunger Games’ deadly traps — unpredictable and unforgiving. The criteria for success are frequently opaque, with students left guessing which of their efforts will yield points and which will be deemed irrelevant. Here, survival is contingent on more than just preparation; it involves deciphering the unwritten rules of the game — what the examiners seek, how to present knowledge effectively, and how to avoid pitfalls that could lead to academic demise.

However, rather than being mere traps, exams can be re-envisioned as platforms for demonstrating mastery and understanding. By making the criteria for success transparent and aligning them closely with the learning objectives, educators can transform exams into meaningful assessments that genuinely reflect students’ knowledge and skills, rather than arbitrary hurdles.

The tyranny of grading curves and rankings

Adding to the gladiatorial nature of this academic competition is the practice of grading on a curve, a system in which student performance is assessed relative to their peers. This normative approach can be as arbitrary and capricious as the Game Makers’ whims in the Hunger Games. In such systems, the achievement of an ​‘A’ becomes a scarce resource, attainable by only a select few, as if there were a finite amount of success to be distributed among competitors. 

Why can’t everyone achieve an ​‘A’? If education is genuinely about learning and mastery, then a system designed around the artificial scarcity of grades is not only counterproductive but also ethically questionable. It creates an environment where students are pitted against each other, with success framed as a rare commodity rather than a shared goal.

In many colleges and Universities, students are ranked based on their academic performance. High ranks often come with rewards, such as being recognised on the Dean’s List or being awarded the University Gold Medal. As these awards and special recognitions are given to a limited number of students (only one University Gold Medal and only the top 5 – 10% of students being recognised on the Dean’s List), it can create a zero-sum game where students feel that for them to succeed and secure these rewards, their peers have to perform worse than them. This creates a hostile environment, discouraging students from sharing study resources, working together on group projects, and sharing information about competitive internship openings, application tips, or industry contacts, fearing that helping others could diminish their own chances.

Towards a new vision: collaboration over competition

The need for a shift from competition to collaboration in education is critical. By fostering an environment where students work together towards common and transparent academic goals, educational institutions can dismantle the adversarial nature of learning and replace it with a cooperative model that values each student’s success. Collaborative learning environments encourage the sharing of ideas, mutual support, and collective problem-solving, which not only alleviate the stress and isolation of competitive learning but also prepare students for real-world challenges, where teamwork and cooperation are often keys to success. They also make education more equitable, ensuring that all students, regardless of their starting point, have the opportunity to succeed and thrive.

Educators play a very important role in fostering collaboration over competition by creating a supportive and cooperative learning environment. Encouraging teamwork and peer mentoring through group projects and structured mentoring programs could allow students to leverage their diverse strengths and learn from each other. By emphasising progressive learning goals and promoting a growth mindset, educators can create an environment where individual mastery and continuous improvement are valued over relative rankings. Utilising formative assessments that provide continuous feedback further supports this approach, helping students focus on their personal learning objectives. By implementing these strategies, educators can cultivate a collaborative learning atmosphere, ensuring all students succeed and thrive in their educational journey.

This does not imply that we should eliminate competitive recognition, awards, and opportunities. Instead, it is essential to diversify the avenues of recognition, celebrating a wider array of talents and strengths. By acknowledging achievements in various domains — such as leadership, creativity, community service, and teamwork — we provide students with multiple pathways to success. This approach not only fosters a more inclusive environment but also promotes a culture where collaboration and mutual support are valued in addition to individual excellence.

Reimagining the educational arena

The parallels between the Hunger Games and today’s competitive educational practices serve as a poignant critique of how we shape young minds and futures. By reevaluating and reforming these practices, we can transform educational institutions from arenas of competition to communities of collaboration. In doing so, we promote a culture where excellence is not an exclusive domain of the few but a universal aspiration that drives all students to reach their full potential, thereby enriching both their lives and the society at large.