Many parents are bothered by whether 12 is too early to send a child to coaching classes for entrance exams. Education is changing in many ways- from by heart learning to more objective and reasoning ability-type assessment. This necessarily makes it more competitive every day. It puts greater pressure on them to succeed at a much younger age than was possible before. That said, one must not forget the development, emotional and social implications before taking any such decision.
Reasons for enrolling children in coaching classes at a very early age
For parents, proper preparation at an early stage is also seen as a way of securing a good future for their children. The entrance exam will open many doors of opportunity, prestigious institutions and colleges for further studies, which is a huge achievement for the student for the future. It takes a lot of sacrifices to succeed in the entrance exams and participate in the admission process.
1. The developmental perspective:
At the age of 12, children are at a critical developmental stage. It is the adolescent time for a child who brings loads of conflict of ideas between the parents and their children. It brings physical changes, questions about one’s identity, and the taste of freedom and independence. The added pressure of continuous coaching classes, entrance exam pressure, and academic high marks will distract them from enjoying puberty, an important part of life, and affect growing up in the future. This will disrupt the natural sequence in academics.
According to child psychology, this excessive academic pressure brings anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, and burnout. The child does feel different and does not feel a part of society as the academic pressure becomes higher at that age. The long study hours required for entrance exam preparation can infringe on the time required for recreational activities, social interaction, and being a child.
2. Balancing academics and play:
To be sure, education is a need, and so is the balance between academics and playing. The interaction in the playing area for a child engages him to discover his creativity, social skills, and physical activity. If children are sent to coaching classes very early, then this balance could be ruined and they might miss proper all-round development.
Parents should treat education more holistically. This may sometimes be better than doing the same thing -rote memorization and learning through narrow-minded teaching methods. Children enjoy what they do, and it will help make academics stress-free.
3. Interest and aptitude:
Every child is unique in his or her interests and aptitudes. While some children may take an interest in subjects lining up with entrance exam syllabi, others may be interested in other things. Forcing a child into a coaching class with no regard for his personal interests leads him to develop a feeling of being against that class.
This innate sense of curiosity should be strictly watched by parents and teachers. It is through motivation and positive encouragement from teachers and parents that a lifelong love for learning develops. Assume that a child expresses an interest at a young age to prepare for entrance exams. Coaching classes may then be considered, but this should always be an option for the child and not be imposed upon the child.
4. Need for emotional support:
Emotional support is an essential requirement for a child’s capabilities to face pressure about academics. A good rapport and open conversation between parents and children are what is needed to make a decision like this as the 12 standard is right to send coaching classes for entrance exams.
There must be a safe place where parents and children can speak freely about their fears, anxiety, depression, and tensions. Parents need to create an environment for children that would allow them to express their ideas regarding their future goals and the intention to pursue their careers.
Regular conversations and check-ins with quality time spent on them can help understand and gauge their child’s ideologies and stress, which will help make adjustments of what to expect from their child.
There are schools that also offer counselling to each student about their career choices, and how to manage the stress of academic or extracurricular activities. Schools may organise workshops, campaigning, and guest lecturers with the encouragement of children in various fields. An astutely trained teacher will realise the signs of stress or impending burnout in students and may take swift action to assist the student in solving the problem.
The long-term effects of early academic pressure should not be ruled out. From a young age, academic pressure can bring with it all sorts of negative feelings, including stress, anxiety, depression, jealousy, or any other feeling, such as bad thoughts and harmful competition. This can result in a negative attitude towards learning or hate of some or the other subject. It becomes more of a burden than a wonderful experience in life.
The parents, teachers, and students deserve a caring attitude toward learning. That will make the child respect education or teaching positively, and these will benefit them all through life. In the future, problems which learners face must be accompanied by curiosity and critical thinking about that problem. The need to have a solution to a problem and less reliance on memorising words from the syllabus must be emphasised.
Practical tips for parents:
- The question parents must ask themselves before enrolling a child in the coaching class for entrance exams is whether they are interested in the concerned subject area or simply curious about the outcome or result?
- Encourage balanced routine:
Ensure that the routine of your child is kept moderate with play, rest, and socialisation. A balanced routine can help to develop overall well-being in your child so he does not burn out due to lack of time for doing everything.
- Communicate:
The parents have to be open with your child and communicate well with him. Hear his concerns and feelings about coaching classes and entrance exam preparations.
- Seek professional guidance:
Talk to teachers and child psychologists about how things should be handled about academic and emotional needs.
- Focus learning pleasure:
Propose to learn out of interest and curiosity rather than for exams alone. It can bring a passion for learning that lasts a lifetime.
There is no such fully formed and final response to the above question, are 12 too early to send a child to coaching class for the entrance exam? There cannot be a one-size-fits kind of solution to this question. It is a very critical decision on the part of the parents and the students. It will require careful consideration of the age and the stage of the student, his mental health, overall development, his core interest, and being healthy as well.
Though early preparation has its advantages, it should never come at the cost of the happiness and overall growth of a child. With such a supportive and balancing approach to education, parents, teachers, and mentors can easily help a child achieve success in academics. Honestly, education is not just passing exams or achieving good marks in subjects. It nurtures curious and enthusiastic minds with their interest and readies them to face the world and find peace with joy, happiness, and confidence.
At Delhi Public School Warangal, we kind of feel the question of sending children to coaching classes at the age of 12 calls for a rethink of priorities and goals in the arena of education. For, the truer learning environment will not be one that focuses children solely on an early specialisation but helps make them bloom both academically and personally.