Cynthia John
Hello Parents!
It’s not unusual to meet youngsters unwilling to conform with formal schooling systems. A growing number of smart and savvy students are disillusioned with the annual scramble for marks and grades, and rebel against the system in differing ways.
Recently I met a class X teen who refused to write his exams, although he was a good student. His parents had been strict, and demanding, which was part of the cause of his rebellion. Later he continued his education through the open schooling system, and signed up for a vocational course.
Another rebel completed her engineering diploma, then switched streams to work as a successful copywriter in several advertising agencies.
Tech-savvy kids are beginning to think more about the way the new world works, and aren’t always as patient as the previous generation.
The rising incidence of such rebellions should prompt introspection on parenting styles. Parents do their best to ensure that their children study hard and qualify for admission into top ranked higher education institutions.
In most such cases, it isn’t parenting efforts that are to blame, but parenting style. Often it isn’t failure of guidance but that rebellious children are cut from a different cloth.
Parents should view such rebellion not as the end of education, but perhaps a new beginning.
Indeed it’s high time parents learnt to acknowledge the advantages of joyful learning, unblemished by the scramble for marks, rank and prestige. We need to accept the open schooling, home schooling, vocational training and apprenticeship options.
If a child becomes aware that she has the aptitude for a totally unconventional vocation, why not keep the option open? Surely 20 years later, you don’t want your child to regret being an engineer instead of an artist.
Idea Box
Kids who dare to dream
As children survey the world around them, they naturally want to emulate people they admire — teachers, sports stars, actors, astronomers. They become interested in computers, spaceships, fire engines, and want to design them. These aspirations may not conform with their syllabus for the year, but arise out of confidence that such goals are realisable.
Children should be encouraged to cultivate interests and hobbies beyond textbooks. They should be encouraged to mingle with all types of people, without being fettered by preconceptions that the best vocations are those that provide good money, stability, and social prestige. If allowed to dream freely, they will be motivated to pursue their dreams, whether it involves doing their best in history, or opting for vocational programmes.
