Why Failing Forward Is the Secret to Success in School

• March 05, 2025
• Posted By : MBD
• 0comments

Failure. It's a word no student likes hearing. In most Indian classrooms, it carries a heavy weight—often tied to shame, judgment, or fear. But what if we’ve been thinking about failure all wrong? What if failing forward in school is not just okay, but necessary?

Let’s start by rethinking what failure really means. Failing forward doesn’t mean giving up. It means learning from what didn’t work and using that to grow. Think of it like this: every mistake is data. And just like scientists run experiments and adjust based on results, students can too.

Why does this matter in schools?

In the traditional Indian education system, especially in high-stakes exams like Class 10 or 12 boards, failure is often seen as the end. But with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 pushing for competency-based learning and formative assessments, there's a shift happening. Schools are slowly moving from “marks-first” to “growth-first.”

Failing forward in school aligns beautifully with this shift.

Take the example of CBSE’s recent push for skill-based assessments. The idea is to focus less on rote learning and more on understanding concepts. But to truly understand, you need room to make mistakes. When students try, fail, reflect, and try again—they don’t just memorize. They learn.

Science agrees.

Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindset shows that students who believe intelligence can be developed tend to outperform those who think it’s fixed. These students aren’t afraid to make mistakes—they see them as part of the process. In India, educators who’ve started implementing this mindset report better engagement and lower stress among students.

Even tech tools like AASOKA’s adaptive assessments use this principle. If a student gets a question wrong, the platform adapts—not to punish, but to reinforce and support. That’s failing forward in action.

So, how can students start failing forward?

1. Reflect, don’t regret. After a low score or a mistake in class, ask yourself: What did I miss? What can I do differently?
2. Focus on progress, not perfection. Celebrate small wins—like getting one more answer right than last time.
3. Talk about it. Teachers and parents need to normalise failure. Instead of asking “Why did you get this wrong?”, ask “What did you learn from this?”
4. Keep moving. Forward is the keyword. Don’t get stuck in self-blame. Mistakes are just steps in the staircase.

The most successful students aren’t the ones who never fall. They’re the ones who learn how to get back up—with more insight, more grit, and a better strategy. Failing forward in school isn’t just a mindset—it’s a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger you get.

And in the long run, that’s what real learning looks like.