Of that my child mind

Not to be missed out this well reasoned thought which merits attention. Shampa writes:

• "Unsure about what to do and lacking direction on how to do it (even if they had the infrastructure), students turned to their parents for help. Fathers were called in from office early; siblings sent out to buy the tools, and working mothers were ordered to download and print all the relevant material (and the misuse of the office facilities be damned). Dining table cleared, dinner forgotten; the entire family sat down to do the 12-year-old’s home assignment.

• The education ministry doesn’t want our school children to be burdened with annual exams; so it’s pelleting them with weekly assignments instead. What no one seems to factor in is the kids’ contribution—or lack of it. The teachers know that the beautifully-finished project reports, filled with thoroughly-researched data, turned in by the kids cannot be the latters’ doing. The foreign hand is obvious, but goes ignored.

• Children think homework should be banned because they are at school all day and then get home only to encounter more work. Or at least the supervision of the work—as done by the parents. Parents who can’t spare the time or handle the stress believe homework should be banned too. Meanwhile, they outsource—to tutors, the extended family, stores selling science projects and, increasingly, to ‘homework websites’. Nothing apparently is too difficult for these sites. Not only can they ensure that the kids ‘pass that class’, they also help with SAT revisions; Science Fair models, and teach your child ‘How to be a Mathionaire’.

• Confucius said, “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember; I do and I understand.” Well, someone is understanding a lot; pity that it can’t be our children."