Education, BUT AT WHAT COST?
My husband and I are no tiger kids. We have always pressured our kids to report AL1 in primary school, nor have we insisted that they must find into best secondary schools. But, we know friends whose children are performing well academically but also go education to guarantee they can provide prominent schools.
There are times when I wonder if my husband and I are very weak with our children. If we do not force them to their highest potential, are we failing as kids? With even more cutting, more practices, more job, maybe my younger daughter may have joined her girl in the incorporated program at their secondary school. But finally I ask myself, at what price?
My elder child previously told me about a student in primary school who broke down after scoring 95 out of 100 on a test. Her student said she would find a click of the wood from her families for every tag she lost. It saddened me greatly when I heard about it.
I do not want for my children to live under such pressure and fear – they only have one youth. When my children are grown, I hope they look up at their youth with passion, remembering it as a day filled with love, where they had the freedom to play and follow their interests, rather than one overshadowed by anxiety and education.
If your baby is now doing well in class, there is n’t a need to succumb to peer pressure and enlist them in education. However, if they need additional support and you can’t supply it again, then tuition may be an alternative. Finally, we want our children to know that they don’t have to fight on their own, and that we are there to find a remedy.
As parents, we often find ourselves walking a tightrope between pushing our children to obtain their best and allowing them the freedom to enjoy their youth. The trip through Singapore’s education system has its problems, but it ’s even a day for development, learning and bonding.
With or without fee, what truly matters is the support, love, and motivation we give our children. It should n’t just be about the results they achieve, but the stable, comfortable, and compassionate people we want them to be.
Vivian Teo is a freelance writer, children’s book author and proprietor of a parenthood and lifestyle website.