by Aruba Qayoom
Favouritism in an educational Institution rewards a few, punishes fairness, and sidelines hardworking students, breeding resentment and undermining the very purpose of education.
We often advocate for equality, opportunity, and holistic growth in educational institutions, yet student favouritism remains an unspoken illness that silently lowers morale and undermines the very values education stands for.
Favouritism is the act of giving special treatment, extra opportunities, or unfair advantages to certain individuals while ignoring the efforts of others who deserve equal recognition. It replaces merit with personal preference and fairness with bias. In classrooms, this appears when some students are repeatedly praised, offered extra chances, or assumed to be always right, while overlooking the genuine efforts of others. Quieter or introverted students are often ignored, underestimated, or treated as incapable.
Many Students believe that favouritism is “everywhere” and affects “almost every school”, creating division and destroying trust.
Student Voices When asked about the issue, many students shared experiences of suffering due to favouritism, citing cases of receiving lower recognition despite strong performance, to seeing others get higher marks or special permissions unfairly. Several students admitted that such bias had affected them personally, hurting their self-esteem, discouraging participation, and making them feel unwanted.
When asked whether favouritism harms the learning environment, students responded with overwhelming agreement, saying “100 per cent”, “200 per cent” and “Absolutely”. They revealed that it creates division, kills confidence, and reduces class participation. It encourages some students to rely on connections rather than hard work. It silences quiet talent and rewards familiarity over effort.
An Incident
A recent incident highlighted the widespread presence of favouritism, showing how common such bias is in our institutions. In a poster-making competition organised by the Botany Department of an institution, a dedicated student created a meaningful, visually appealing poster on the theme “India’s Vision of a Developed Nation”. The poster drew admiration from several attendees.
However, to the dismay of many, the results revealed that both winners were chosen from the very department that organised the competition. Shockingly, the first prize went to a poster that lacked basic creativity and relevance, visual appeal, and thematic depth, according to observers. This raised a serious question: Was this merit or favouritism disguised as judgment?
Students from other departments felt disheartened and deeply demotivated by the judgment. One participant shouted, “I do not demand a prize. I only seek justice, fairness, and a platform where student creativity is respected, not ignored or murdered.” When honest effort is dismissed due to bias, it breaks confidence and kills motivation. The purpose of competitions is to reward merit, not connections. When fairness dies, so does the spirit of learning.
Faith condemns favouritism too
Even religion teaches us to reject favouritism. Islam strongly emphasises justice, equality, and fairness. The Qur’an (49:13) states that the most honoured in the sight of Allah is the most righteous. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) taught us to
“Love for your brother what you love for yourself.” He even warned parents not to favour one child over another, so how can institutions justify favouritism? True leadership means treating every student with equal respect, dignity, and opportunity and making decisions based on merit, not preference.
The Damage of Favouritism
Favouritism may seem harmless to some, but to the student who is ignored despite sincere effort, it is heartbreaking. True education does not just build knowledge, it builds confidence, character, empathy, and integrity. If we want institutions that inspire excellence, we must replace favouritism with fairness and partiality with transparency.
A Call to Action
Let us stand united to shut the doors to hatred, injustice, and all forms of favouritism that divide us. A truly humane society is built not by power or position, but by the values it upholds, the empathy it nurtures, and the dignity it extends to all. Let us create schools, colleges and institutions where fairness thrives, creativity is honoured, and every student is given a chance to shine. Aruba Qayoom is a Final-year student pursuing an integrated BSc–MSc degree in Biotechnology at Central University of Kashmir.
(The author is a final-year student of integrated BSc–MSc in Biotechnology at Central University of Kashmir.)
