Complaints were so many and so critical of the site that the publishing company apologized and withdrew all contents, Children are not as conscious of what others will think, but honestly and simply express their inner feelings-- in this case difficult for adults to accept.
A college dean writes about the problems faced by the children in our educational system in the View from the Ark of the Catholic Times. He gives us another example of an essay written for a daily paper by a child who expresses the stress that students experience and wants the parents to know this is the reason for the suicides, and laments that the children are like sponges, made to absorb repeated stress.
Children who frequent these private, after school academies, face a continual barrage of slogans that make the time at the academies stressful and fuel the competitive spirit in learning. Each day they are exhausted by the studies and repulsed by what they will continue to face, and a reason they turn to their smart phones for relief. Fear of being a drop out in our society is present, and a reason for suicides.
Our columnist tells us the day of the geniuses has come to an end, and we are in the time of the creative thinker. No matter the conditions, they are prepared. They can accept failure and frustration with their fighting spirit. They can adapt to any situation and become close to any person. Education you see, considers marks important but the education you don't see fosters leadership, creativity and sacrifice. Competition is one form of violence. Extreme competition instead of motivating for success will foster frustration.
Competition fosters academic cliques, and ranking in society, an evil that militates against harmony. The educational system we have instead of fighting against the evils in society has helped to increase the structural evils. Development of society requires the mutual help of citizens and not the elite of society acting as individualists.
Recently we have more talk about the good results of play even in theological thought. We are able to stimulate our senses, memories are helped, language and emotional life, creativity and social life is fostered. Before criticizing children for their behavior, we should give them a place to work on liberating themselves from the demands made on them. Since our teaching of religion has a goal to speak to the whole person, and develop mature human beings-- this makes for a strong nation and church. Is there any pastoral work that is more important than this?
