What has gone wrong - Education System or Parents' Mentality?

Life of kids these days isn't as easy as it was, when we were young. Stiff competitions, pressures from parents to stay ahead in class, too many classes, ... huff... and the piles of homework and projects! We can very well hear the puffing sounds of kids close to our ears. But, are we listening? Have we for a moment thought about them to see where all of this is headed.

Routines of kids have drastically changed. They are, in fact, busier than adults. Returning from school after a tiring day,  having a mild snack, getting ready for a class or tuition, hopping from tennis to keyboard/dance, coming home around 7 p.m. and staring at piles of homework left to be done. Some of them even have their dinner in the middle of homework, without even having time to enjoy it. By 9 p.m, when they are done with their homework, they remember about a project yet to be done and start on with it and wind up by 10:30 or 11:00 p.m. This has become the routine of the current generation. Where is the time to study and play?  No socializing, no fresh air, no relation... Is this all for good?

We see that, the pattern of education has changed to the core. Lots of pressure from schools on the education front... Do kids need to study so much and learn all the newbies that we learnt in our 8th and 9th Grade, as early as the 5th Grade. Do 10th Graders need Java Programming? Do 4th Graders need to know Microsoft Word? Where is all this headed? Think for a minute...!

Even as parents, we need to stop putting pressure on kids to stay ahead in class. Some are talented in studies and some in arts and some in music. Not all of them can perform well in all aspects. Parents need to understand a bit of psychology and use a bit of common sense to realize it. Yes, it is time for a change...

Give the kids what they need most for their age - quality time with family, play time which they use to socialize, and some time for themselves. It is okay for kids to learn something new here and there, but not the level of hopping from one class to another. Give them some room, which they rightly deserve! PLEASE! ... for the sake of a healthy future of our kids.