What happen to the years when they are so curious about things around them? From birth to the time before they start school, they have already acquired so many knowledge and skills. They learn to crawl, walk, run, speak, sing, cry, read, write, draw... etc. They have this light in their eyes, the burning desire to discover things, the motivation to find out more, to read, to acquire knowledge, the awe in nature and curiosity. I see this in all my children, and in every child. However this light.. this desire to learn slowly disappear as they attend primary school. Year after year, I see the kids getting bound down by longer hours of school, more homework, more tuition to learn the things they didn't learn in the long hours in school. They are exhausted and literally have no time!
Why is this so? What happened to our children over the years? It seems like there is nothing wrong.. and everyone is sending their children to school and the school should be doing the best for the kids. And teachers are professional who knows how to teach our kids. But no... not all teachers know how to teach or care about our kids. There is seriously something wrong in our educational system.
Why are we as adults, as parents, as school, as teachers, as a society putting out the fire to learn in our children?
I have been pondering on this for many years now, ever since I had kids, ever since my eldest started Primary 1. I had no answer, I made the best choice possible at that point of time. But now... I am beginning to see some light in my questions...
Our children need to be free to achieve their innate potentials. Not bound down by set curriculum, test, exams, homework. We need to set them free! Each child is so unique, we can't put them all in the classroom and teach the same thing and expect all to absorb everything.
We start asking the kids to shut up and listen, no talking in class, no talking and playing after class and at home. And because learning is serious, there will be no playing because the kids need to complete their homework and study and revise for test the next day. Rush them to sleep and rush them to wake to be in school on time to study.
I can't sleep. I do not have time to edit this blog, I hope I made some sense and I hope we all start asking question and not accept the norm. For the norm may not be the best for our children.
