Is Private tuition, Online tuition, eTuition, Coaching classes really required for students of all age and all academic years?

Dear readers,

Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in publishing post this week. I’m sure you must NOT have noticed that delay though. J

These days, I’ve been busy writing a book, yes a book! So was kind of pulled away from the blog for a while. I don’t want to talk more about this impossible venture as of now. J

Before we go the today's post, let me share the funny incidence I experienced today morning in the park when I was sitting on a bench and a lady passed by speaking over the phone “ (Hindi)…sirji, aapne jabhi phone kiyaa thha naa, tab mai nahaa rahi thhi, Bathroom main!..”
“(English)… sir, when you had called me, I was taking shower, in the Bathroom!...”

Though in my devil mind: 

(Hindi) Lo! karlo baat! Normally loag bathroom mai hee nahaate hain, aur kahaan nahaate hai? I mean ye mahila kabhi kitchen, hall, bedroom mai nahaati hai toh pataa nahi. I laughed out, even though I was alone. JJJ

(English audience) I was not knowing before I heard this lady, that people bath/ take shower in other rooms of house also. Of course, I’m not aware if this lady takes shower in the hall, kitchen or bedroom though. J J J 

Just for humor!!!

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Parents in India (while I’m not sure about other countries) pretty often come across advertisements such as 'Online tuition, ‘Private tuition’, ‘Personal tuition’, this tuition, that tuition, then 'private coaching classes' for the better future of their children.

Advertisements usually go in some form like this,

‘Your son is not studying? He needs a private tuition! We provide tuition from the people who are IITians.’

‘Your son needs a personal attention. We provide online tuitions.’

Then coaching classes: ‘last year one of our students scored 98%!!!’

…it may go on and on.

I must mention here that I respect all IIT students, qualified IITians and IIT institutes for providing premium quality education in the country. My focus of the discussion today is on students and too much of expectations out of them, not giving them their own space to think what they need. For that matter I respect Education, but then I think it would be inappropriate to value Formal Education only in our life and society.

My question here to parents is do students require so much of guided attention in studies?

Do they all really want to go to private tuitions, coaching classes?

Yes, I don’t deny that certain important years of academics, children need to be disciplined, and focusing on studies so that they don’t miss the bus of career options for their better future. But do they need tuitions, classes for every academic year? For e.g. 1^st standard, 2^nd standard, 3^rd standard…

Everyone has 24 hours in a day. Students usually spend 5-6 hours in a school or college. Daily commuting time on an average 1 hour.  Then 8-10 hours for sleep.  Now, whatever time is left i.e. of 7-9 hours, I think it would good to let them live their own life, enjoy their life, apart from doing studies on their own. Because those precious moments of young age do not come again in life with that freedom, that age, that thinking, and endless zeal to dream. Things they want to try, things they want to do apart from studies, like sports, spending time with friends, reading, internet surfing, cooking, etc.

I think it would be good enough for parents to just ensure that, their children know what is wrong and what is right, what is ethical and what is not. Make sure they don’t waste or abuse the freedom you are giving them and know their boundaries. Of course they would make mistakes, but then ensure they learn from their mistakes. Monitor them don't try to control them.

Everyone is not alike, and not meant to be alike. So don’t try to control your children’s life by forcing them to be part of the competition which probably their soul and mind does not want…