I was informed by my little princess (3 Years old!) that she wants to be a doctor. My son (12 years old) is vacillating between being a stockbroker or a software developer. His hero is Bill Gates. My firm belief is that children have to be encouraged to reach for the start.
Here is an op-ed by Sir Peter Lampl, founder and chairman of the Sutton Trust (an educational charity). He is complaining about the low aspirational levels by many students and that is a sheer waste of talent. I quote:
While others are tempted to pin the blame on biased universities, I believe there is something more deep-rooted at work – a culture of low aspirations shared not just by students, but in many cases by their parents and teachers, too. There are many excellent teachers doing their best for the students, but it is a disturbing fact that some bright pupils are actively discouraged from reaching for the top.
It is worse, read on
You might think the classroom would act as a corrective. But all too often low expectations are reinforced by our socially selective school system.
The Sutton Trust has surveyed 20% of the teachers in state schools who advise students on university – and more than 80% of them said they thought their pupils would find it difficult to fit into the top universities, particularly Oxbridge.
Hard-pressed teachers face many other pressures and in some cases lack the confidence and know-how. Parents, meanwhile, are frustrated. Some even tell of instances where their children have been told not to bother applyingto Oxford or Cambridge, despite being qualified.
Why are teachers telling their students that they cannot aim high? How DARE THEY? I wrote earlier about how important it is for children to aim high as they might end up the lowest of the low. Teachers have to fire up their children's imagination and aspirations. Make them reach for the stars, push them to excel themselves. Make them realise that they can do better than they think.
I am truly sickened by this waste of talent.
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