Question

In some countries, the parents expect children to spend long time in studying both in and after school and have less free time. Do you think it has positive or negative effects on children and the society?

Sample answer

Students are meant to study. Nevertheless, they are imposed increasing academic tasks to do nowadays while the pressure on adults intensifies. As a result leisure time is cut largely by parents and is occupied by various after school classes.

Surely parents have their reasons for pushing their children towards academic study. The most obvious one is that the competition to the access to higher education is escalating and the chances of getting a decent job is diminishing. These parents believe that if their children perform excellently in academic terms, they would have better advantages in securing a future career. This is often true in many countries where academic performance is highly valued and strongly related to their jobs. However, such practice may not help educators achieve theiroriginal benign intention.

Actually forcing school children to their utmost are more likely to exert negative influence on young children rather than positive one. Firstly with less time for outdoor sports or leisure activities, children and adolescents are prone to health problems, such as minor physical complaints and poor eyesight. Another concern is about emotional development. Too much study timedeprives students of time with their parents and their peer friends, and such reduction in domestic and social interaction tends to result in poor social skills and unsatisfying personal relationship when they grow up. Finally, spending large amount of time on school study does notguarantee outstanding grades or intelligent advancement. Assignment stricken students may end upwith weariness in study, which is definitely the last thing that educators want to see.

In general, I personally suggest returning childhood to children. Obviously forcing children too much in academic study is not in line with this suggestion. What the parents need to realize is what makes a round developed person and only academic performance cannot ensure their children a bright future.

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