By: Samantha Chen, Staff Writer
Many parents, from all grade levels, had some different thoughts on their children’s academics. Some have a mindset of pursuing what you’re good at and pushing your interests on the side, while others advocate for the opposite and just want their child to do what they’re passionate about.
When asked for their opinions on the workload given to their child, many parents felt that their children were given a reasonable amount of work during the week. They felt that since last year was so relaxed due to online school, it was necessary to have the students catch up on what they missed last year.
Many parents also have different thoughts on whether or not children should be given homework over the weekend. Some parents stated that they don’t prefer to have their child get homework over the weekend as it should be used for spending time with family, not school. But, they do understand that even if it is annoying, it’s also a part of life and part of the responsibilities that come with being a student.
Since a handful of teachers place a heavy emphasis on tests, some parents think that although tests are necessary, it shouldn’t be held against them as hard since everyone learns at different paces. People shouldn’t be forced to learn at a certain pace just to get ready for a test. Stress and nerves also play a big part in whether or not a student succeeds and grades, in some parents’ eyes, don’t capture the students’ full abilities. Depending on the parent, the opinion over the overemphasis on grades varies. Some believe that it isn’t an accurate measurement of their knowledge while others think the current system works fine the way it is.Though grades are important, some of the ways used to evaluate their knowledge such as test taking aren’t always accurate. Students can get nervous and stressed on tests and end up blanking out which doesn’t give a good representation of what they’ve learned. It’s also important that a student doesn’t sacrifice their learning for their grades and grades should only represent how hard a person’ trying.
Many things have changed and recently there has been a decline in people attending Vocational schools. A Vocational School is a school where people learn how to do jobs that require special skills such as being an Electrician, Plumber or Carpenter. These jobs are not as valued despite their importance because in society it’s seen as more desirable to have a four-year college degree landing a white collar job.
Many parents are open to the idea of their child attending a vocational school as long as they’re good at it since college may not be for everyone, though there is a mix of responses of if their child should do what they are good at or what they enjoy. Some say that if it makes their child happy they are acceptant with their child doing what they want. On the other hand some parents believe that although they may enjoy doing those things, they should focus on what they are good at and do what they enjoy on the side. Many have mentioned that it’s good to have other skills and explore things that you aren’t good at, but even if you enjoy it you can’t always get what you want nor a stable income, saying it may not be sustainable in the long run.
Parents of children from all grade levels have expressed many different stances on their children’s academics. Many parents had mixed feelings about certain topics such as grades, work load, and the future of their child.
