In a letter about studying in Thanh Nien Newspaper on May 21, Pham Thanh Thu, an 11th grade student at Bao Loc High School (Bao Loc City, Lam Dong Province), wrote: "Summer is here, I hope to learn to swim, read books, watch movies, practice life skills, prepare to start a business...".
"Please don't rush us to extra classes... 24/7, so that one day, adults and children today will regret who took our summer... Let us go with our own feet, hearts and designs," Thanh Thu shared in her letter.
The wish of the 11th grade student is the legitimate desire of many school-age children. The letter stating the wish "studying not for exams" made me and other parents worry.
Parents should not let their children's academic achievements or expectations be too high, thus turning them into "learning machines".
Children have to study extra to please their parents.
While waiting to pick up my child outside the primary school gate, looking through the fence, I saw the radiant faces of students in their gym uniforms, engrossed in playing badminton, kicking shuttlecock, and jumping rope. Children’s childhoods need moments of outdoor physical activity and connecting with friends.
However, just a few minutes later, when the bell rang signaling the end of school, parents rushed in to pick up their children, the pressure of studying loomed over the children's shoulders. A long day of hard work at school with endless subjects seemed not enough. Children had to go to extra classes after school. They had to practice math, write more, speak more English and hone a series of talents in painting, music , chess... to please their parents.
Many children wanted to linger in the schoolyard for a few more minutes, to finish their story with their friends, to play "crocodile coming ashore" or "baby learning to walk", but they were not allowed. The urge to quickly leave school for extra classes resounded loudly.
A loaf of bread, a box of sticky rice in the afternoon, a baked cake eaten quickly to get to class on time, urging in the ear. The big pair changes to the small pair for extra classes. The uniform that hasn't been changed yet is already peeking out at the door of the "second-grade" class...
Have we ever stopped to look into our children's eyes and noticed their tired eyes because their childhood was all about studying, studying, and studying? Have we ever asked sincerely and lovingly, "Do you like studying this subject?" Have we ever kept our promise that after this exam, our children will be able to relax?....
Or do we just keep running around, struggling to earn extra income to pay for extra classes, ignoring our children who are exhausted from studying all the time? Or do we listen to this place for a good teacher, that place for a teacher who teaches the right questions, so we can find the address, get to know them and beg for our children to join the class? Or do we encourage children to study hard to achieve high results with lip service promises, and then it all goes back to the way it was, the cycle of studying, exams, scores, and achievements keeps spinning like a pinwheel, taking away children's childhood and never returning?
Parents should give their children time to enjoy a real summer.
Must study more to keep up with friends
The pressure of studying always hangs on children's shoulders all year long. From the time the child happily goes to kindergarten, parents' hopes of singing well, dancing well, and speaking foreign languages like the wind begin to grow.
In the last year of kindergarten, many children rush out of school to attend a literacy class before entering first grade to keep up with their peers. Then the journey of learning begins to carry expectations: they must study well, compete to win prizes, and have excellent results at the end of the year...
The expectations of parents placed on their beloved children are very precious. However, with the current educational reality of children, it seems that parents' expectations are pushed up higher and higher, one achievement ladder continues to another. Therefore, children are unintentionally turned into "learning machines".
Many parents blame the education sector and schools for putting pressure on children to achieve, causing them to lose their childhood. However, it is the parents themselves, not anyone else, who are pushing the boat of school, center, and private tutoring downstream.
I would like to raise 4 questions for parents to ponder :
- How many people "calm down" and let their children play freely in the face of the whirlwind of extra classes out there?
- How many people have the courage to tell their children that "any school is the same, what matters is our ability!"?
- How many people are willing to accept their child's low score as a matter of course instead of questioning "why only 9 points and not 10"?
- How many people are brave enough to let their children choose schools and majors based on their passions and aspirations instead of closely intervening in their children's future?
The heartfelt letter asking to return the real summer days to children has touched the hearts of many people. However, whether it has moved the parents’ minds or not, there is certainly a huge gap…
Source link
Comment (0)