“All political lives end in failure,” said British politician Enoch Powell, and scholars, too, face a similar fate. As anthropologist Marshall Sahlins puts it, academics can be certain of two things: they will all die someday, and ultimately, they will all be proven wrong. Even the most celebrated figures are not immune to failure. In a famous Nike ad, basketball legend Michael Jordan admitted to missing over 9,000 shots and losing almost 300 games. “I’ve failed over and over again in my life,” he confessed, “And that is why I succeed.”
Jordan’s message is both inspiring and alarming. If failure is integral to success, what happens to our current students who have never faced failure? In Australia, where I live and teach, this question is becoming increasingly relevant.
In the past 20 years, Australian universities have seen a surge in enrollment due to government policies. The top institutions attract the best-prepared students, leaving less prestigious universities to lower their entry standards. Unsurprisingly, many underprepared students struggle to complete their courses, leading to record-high dropout rates.
Australian universities are legally required to ensure that their students have the necessary background and support to complete their courses. However, universities have often neglected this responsibility, prompting government intervention.
In a bold move, the federal government introduced legislation that could transform or undermine our understanding of failure. Dubbed the “No Student Left Behind—Especially If They’ve Failed” act, this legislation aims to eliminate failure from the Australian educational system. University students scoring below 50 percent in exams will receive extensive support, including tutoring, counseling, exam retakes, special exams, and extended deadlines. Additionally, universities face a fine of $18,780 per student if they fail to help students achieve at least 50 percent.
This ambitious legislation aims to replace failure with success. However, economist Tim Harford argues that failure is essential to learning. In his book Adapt: Why Success Always Follows Failure, Harford suggests that mistakes and setbacks teach students more than success does. Malcolm Gladwell, in Outliers, supports this view, stating that becoming an expert requires at least 10,000 hours of practice, during which students inevitably make and learn from mistakes.
Moreover, overcoming failure helps students develop resilience, perseverance, and grit—traits essential for success in any field. Psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth emphasizes that these character traits, which stem from confronting and overcoming failure, are as crucial as intelligence.
Given the high costs and potential fines, universities may be tempted to pass every student. But will a university degree retain its value if passing becomes routine rather than a reward for hard work and resilience? If everyone is a winner, is anyone winning anything at all?
These concerns extend beyond Australia. In the U.S., grade inflation and “contract grading” reward effort rather than learning, allowing students to pass without much effort. This approach benefits faculty and institutions but leaves students unprepared for the real world.
The push to eliminate failure has significant implications for education, success, and the nature of universities. While we want our students to succeed, passing everyone ensures the opposite. Preventing students from experiencing failure denies them the opportunity to gain the self-confidence that comes from overcoming it.
To help young people handle life’s challenges, we must let them fail. Failure is not the enemy; it is a crucial part of the learning process. Embracing failure as a learning tool will better prepare students for the complexities of the real world.
In conclusion, the “No Student Left Behind—Especially If They’ve Failed” act represents a well-intentioned but misguided attempt to eradicate failure. While it aims to support students, it risks undermining their development and resilience. We must recognize the value of failure in education and ensure that our students are prepared to face and overcome challenges. Only then can we truly set them up for success.
