Commentary on social issue of studying

In Singapore, the average child, has to excel in either three different areas in order to be properly recognized. These areas are academics, sports and the arts. In order to be a successful sportsman, a ton training is required. Swimmers follow a strict routine everyday, I have personally heard from my friend who is a national swimmer that he has to train every morning before going to school, and that after classes he continues his training. To excel in the arts, is equally difficult. Most aesthetically successful are inclined towards the arts, be it music, painting etc. Parents send their children to classes, hoping that aesthetical talent will be bestowed on their children.

Lastly, the option of excelling academically. Parents, keen to get their children into the top schools in the nation, hope to infuse their passion about studying into their children, through the popular medium of assessment exercises. This happens especially around the PSLE period. By piling loads and loads of assessment exercises onto their child’s table, they fervently believe that the child’s academic results will increase slowly but surely. If the child’s results do not improve after doing assessment exercises, then the parents conclude that it is the child’s fault, for not studying hard enough. This leads them to continue the vicious cycle of stuffing the child’s room with assessment exercises.

To all the parents, let me say this, your child is not to be blamed! Many times have I witnessed friends in primary school breaking down into tears after an exam because they could not solve a question or finish the exam paper. Their parents, would smile condescendingly, while twirling a cane as if it were a baton. No child enjoys the masochistic drill of slogging through exam papers of previous years. Thankfully, my parents did not go to the extent of shoving exam papers down my throat, but nonetheless, I cannot forget the dreaded hours of studying assessment exercises in primary school. When asked by my parents and relatives how much I hated doing the repetitive exercises, I replied with an answer that barely concealed my disgust for the exercises. The conversation went like this:

Relatives: Do you hate doing assessment exercises?
Me: I have as much passion for it now as I shall ever have.
Relatives: Impressive!

At least I think it went this way. So parents, please do not be obsessed with forcing your child to study. Children should be given positive encouragement and urged to study, but not locked in a room filled with study notes and assessment exercises. They should be treated with care but not smothered. They should be disciplined but not abused. Taking proper care of a child is a surmountable task, as long as you have a cash cheque for a million dollars, a job that requires no work at all and extremely good patience. Surmountable indeed…