Letters | Hong Kong parents are not the real problem, the grades-driven education system is

There’s no sense in trying to change the way parents think about their children’s education when they have limited control over how important test scores are

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A government task force on home-school cooperation and parent education has recommended a campaign to encourage parents to cultivate a balanced upbringing for their children. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 1:00pm, 9 May 2019Updated: 1:00pm, 9 May 2019

After reading “Will campaign to change parents’ obsession with grades succeed?” (May 5), I wondered whether the government has finally realised how the local education system drives students crazy with pressure and how it affects the parent-child relationship. Perhaps the government really would like to change the perception of academic results taking priority over everything else. Unfortunately, I don’t think their solutions will work.

The “Positive Parents Campaign” referred to will use various platforms to spread its message to parents, such as through videos and articles, as well as school activities, so that they “can cultivate a balanced and more fulfilling life for their children amid the city’s culture of excessive competition”.

One of the most ridiculous pieces of advice that I have heard since primary school is that “learning is not all about test scores”. This is meaningless when the whole education scheme decides the path for future education and career prospects through scores. It is meaningless when not only parents but everyone in society believes academic results are the final judgment of one’s worth, be it at school or a job interview.

Even when one’s job has absolutely nothing to do with academic achievement, having a university degree can make your life much more easier. This kind of perception is the stumbling block for students who try to enjoy learning. Even parents have no agency.

If parents could indulge their children with toys and game time without worrying about them losing their edge over peers, why would they dump them in a play group at the age of two? If parents could afford to rest and have comfortable conversations with the kids after a hard day’s work, why would they spend money and time on ever more exercises and tutoring lessons?