High on the agenda of many parents is the need to select schools that are perceived to be institutions that would enable their children to achieve the highest possible academic goals. It seems quite clear that such an intense focus on academic achievement has squeezed out the attention to so many other crucial aspects of the children's lives. What about helping our children to be good, is this too much to ask of parents today? Even so, does being good mean sacrificing our children's academic dreams? Some parents may wonder if being good would help their children get into prestigious schools.
In our society today, there are many kids who have become and are becoming academic junkies with parents who drive them relentlessly. For many parents, there is no end to pushing their children to be successful in school. Research has shown that when it comes to academic achievement, parents in the upper and middle-class communities have clearly gone overboard. In the United States, about one-third of the children have seen a Baby Einstein video. Parents are now going to legendary lengths to prime the mental engines of their toddlers.
From as early as pre-school age, parents have become so selective. Braving weather and traffic conditions, they are prepared to drive several kilometres to shuttle their kids to school. The same applies when it comes to the primary school. And the true madness begins when secondary schools are on the horizon. Which secondary school to select? Should I take School A or School B and so on. It is very obvious that many families are in a state of nervous collapse regarding secondary school admission. And when the results of the SEA examinations are released, many children are in terror if they are not placed in what is regarded as a "high profile" school. Parents are frantic, looking for anyone who could help them get a place.
Research conducted in the US has proposed that in a survey of 40 pupils, more than one third identified that getting into a 'good' school was more important than being a 'good' person and more than half of the students surveyed said it was more important to their parents that they get into a good school than be a good person. When these results were shown to teachers, they protested strongly as these teachers felt that the numbers were much higher than the survey suggested. The problem does not lie only with the parents. Many schools have become academic factories, mass producing 'geniuses'. The school administration would argue that they have little choice in the matter for the schools are designed to serve the needs of the community and if this is what is expected of them by the parents, then they have an obligation to deliver. A sort of Catch 22 situation, isn't it?
One teacher was quoted as saying: "Every particle of our school is now devoted to students achieving a high level and getting into one of the prestigious schools. It's crazy! We should blow ourselves up and start all over again." Many listeners in the audience nodded in assent. The tone of this article thus far could suggest to the reader that there should not be such a focus on academic achievement. But this is far from the truth. Parents and teachers must continue to put pressure on children to achieve.
However, it is entirely possible that pupils achieve academically while at the same time lead morally and gratifying lives. The point is that we are out of balance. Achievement has, in many ways become the chief goal of child-raising and this intense focus threatens to make children less happy and less moral. The pressure must now be on schools, communities, and parents to curb this destructive form of achievement pressure and cultivate healthy notions of achievements. I implore you to examine closely this research work done by psychologists Suniya Luthar and Shawn Latendresse (2005) of Columbia University. Their research suggested something that is both striking and troubling.
The research stated that even though poor children face many hardships, teenagers in affluent families suffer emotional and moral problems roughly at the same rates. The causes of these troubles clearly differ in rich and poor communities, as do the consequences. Some of these troubles include delinquency, behavioural problems, drug use (including hard drugs), depression and anxiety. Although there are many complex causes for some of these conditions, researchers point a strong association between these troubles and achievement pressures. Research also suggests that children who are subjected to intense achievement pressure by their parents do outperform other students.
Some parents fail to model a basic sense of fairness. In today's society, among the affluent parents, it is not uncommon to have a psychiatrist falsely diagnose children as having attention deficit disorders. Our communities have now become a race to see which parent can secure the highest ratings for their children (Top 100 SEA placements; National Scholarships etc). Parents spend enormous sums of money on tutors to help their kids to do better at school. When children are treated as performance machines or place academic achievement above other values, not only are they stressed but also may feel that their other personal qualities are not valued by others.
Our school community today is fast excluding children who are socially skilled, deeply loyal, funny, feisty, caring and imaginative. When the focus is only on academic achievement, many children often hate themselves when their performance falls below what was expected of them. There is no single healthy approach to promoting children's achievement largely because of how parents and teachers think about achievement. For some, achievement may be rooted in widely different values concerning money, status and accomplishment. But it is important that schools work towards curbing these destructive forms of achievement pressure and help and encourage parents to interact more constructively with their children around achievement.
Parents must be encouraged to have honest, constructive conversations with their kids about achievement. One researcher pointed out that parents should spend no more than 20 minutes each day discussing your child's school day. This time can be extended only if the child is having some significant problem. This is a good rule. A child will have interests outside of the school and such interests are important to that child. Parents must recognise and pay attention to these interests. It is important for the child to believe that all his interests are equally important. Many parents fail to recognise that there are many irrational forces that drive them to push their children.
These forces include the hope that their children will live out their parents' dreams. Also, parents believe that their children's achievement is a public reflection of their success as parents. Parents are encouraged to reflect on these forces (and so many other irrational forces that drive them to push their children). In addition, schools must also do, than just make claims that there is a focus on social, moral and emotional growth. This article does not propose any answers to the points discussed. The simple reason for this is that there is no one answer. The answer to this concern lies in our head and as long as we begin to think of the negatives associated with an intense focus on achievement, the answer will be found.
As parents and teachers, we have been fantastically successful at getting children to buy into our achievement ethic. It is an awesome tribute to our power. But is this the way we really wish to use this power? Let us attempt to teach our children to be good. Being a good person will never compromise academic achievement. It will only enhance such achievement.
This topic was researched and presented by
Chandra B Panday,
Principal 1 at El Dorado
South Hindu School
* cited Richard Weissbound Journal
Education Leader, May 2011, Volume 68 No 8
