In the letter about studying in the Newspaper Youth On May 21.5, Pham Thanh Thu, a student of grade 11 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. , preparing to start a business…”.
“Please don't rush to send us to extra classes… 24/7, so that one day, adults and children now regret who took my summer away… Let us walk on our own, My own heart and design”, Thanh Thu shared in her letter.
The wish of 11th graders is the legitimate heart of many school-age children. The letter stated the desire to "study not for the exam" that made me and other parents have concerns.
Parents should not because of academic achievement or set high expectations to turn their children into "learning machines".
Children have to learn more to make their parents happy
While waiting to pick up my child outside the gate of the elementary school, I looked over the fence and saw the bright faces of students in gym uniforms who were passionately playing badminton, shuttlecock, and skipping rope. Children's childhood needs a lot of moments of outdoor physical activity, connecting with friends.
However, just a few minutes later, when the gong signaling the end of school had just sounded, and parents rushed in to pick up their children, the pressure of studying overshadowed the young shoulders. A long day at school with extended subjects doesn't seem to be enough. Children must attend extra classes after school. Children have to practice more math, write more literature, speak more English and hone their talents in painting, music, chess, etc. to satisfy their parents.
Many children who want to linger in the school yard for a few more minutes, tell their friends the rest of the story, play the game "crocodile ashore", "baby learning to walk" are not accepted. The urge to quickly leave school for extra classes resounded loudly.
A loaf of bread, a box of afternoon sticky rice, a scone that was eaten in a hurry to get to class in time to urge in the ear. Large pairs exchange small pairs to learn more. The uniform that has not yet been changed has appeared at the door of the "two-up" class…
Have we ever stopped to look into children's eyes and realize that their eyes are tired because childhood is only study, study and study? Have we ever asked sincerely and trustingly, “Do you enjoy studying this subject”? Will we ever keep our promise that after this exam, you will be able to relax?….
Or do we keep busy running, struggling to earn extra income to pay for extra lessons, even though our children are tired from studying all the time? Or do we eagerly listen to this place, there is a good teacher, there is a teacher who wins the exam to find out the address, get acquainted and beg omg to let me in? Or we encourage children to practice to achieve high results by making promises and then getting back into it, the cycle of learning, exams, grades, and achievements keeps spinning like a pinwheel, sweeping away children's childhoods. ?
Parents should give their children time to enjoy a true summer
Must learn more to be equal to friends, by friends
The pressure of studying is always carried on children's shoulders all year long. Right from the time the baby bounced around to kindergarten, he began to rekindle his parents' hopes of good singing, dancing, and speaking foreign languages like the wind.
In the last year of kindergarten, many children have rushed to leave school to go to literacy classes before entering grade 1 to equal friends and peers. Then the babbling journey of getting used to learning began to bear the expectation: study must be good, competition must have a prize, at the end of the year must have excellent achievements...
Parents' expectations placed entirely on their loving guts are very respectful. However, with the current learning reality of children, it seems that parents' expectations keep being pushed up, one achievement ladder extends to another. Therefore, children are inadvertently turned into "learning machines".
Many parents blame the education industry and schools for putting pressure on achievement for children to lose their childhood. However, it is the parents, not anyone else, who are pushing the boat to go to school, study center, and tutoring downstream.
TI would like to ask 4 questions for parents to ponder:
- How many people "calm like a jar" let their children play leisurely before the rush of tutoring out there?
- How many people have the courage to confirm with their children that “going to every school is the same, what matters is our strength!”?
- How many people are willing to accept your child's low score as common sense instead of asking "why only 9 points but not 10"?
- How many people have the courage to let their children choose a school or major because it is their passion and aspiration instead of deeply meddling in their children's future?
The letter asking to return the true summer days to children has touched the hearts of many people. However, whether that moves the parents' minds or not, there must be a big gap...
