Kids See Our Effort and Busy Lives, Yet They Often Don't Appreciate It...

One day, a little girl called into a radio station to request a song.

Radio Host: "Hi there! Who would you like to dedicate this song to?" Little Girl: "I want to dedicate it to my mom." Radio Host: "And why are we sending a song to your mom?" Little Girl: "Because my mom always works so hard, and I want to thank her!" Radio Host: "Wow, what a good girl! Tell us a bit about how hard she works." Little Girl: "On weekdays, she works hard at her job. And on the weekends, instead of resting, she still has to rush me around to all my cram schools. She never gets a break, so she works really hard." Radio Host: "I see! So, what song would you like to play to thank your mom?" Little Girl: "I’d like to request 'Why Must Women Make Life Hard for Women?'..." Radio Host: >_<

An exhausted student is just like an overworked employee working two full-time jobs!

This isn't just an internet joke; it is a phenomenon that deserves our serious reflection.

Why does school fail to help children truly master what they learn, forcing them to turn to cram schools?

From the government's perspective: The relationship between the government and public schools is like a franchise agreement. The government should demand that schools deliver high-quality education to their customers (in this case, our children). However, the government has neglected its duty. Not only has it failed to monitor educational quality, but it also completely misunderstands what its customers actually need. Left unsatisfied, customers look elsewhere, causing the cram school industry to boom.

From the parents' perspective: The relationship between parents and schools should be like consulting a professional. Parents should be able to expect schools to provide professional, customized learning experiences. Yet, schools have failed in this duty. They cannot adapt their educational content to meet customer needs, and they even expect parents to solve learning issues on their own. Powerless against the school system, parents have no choice but to send their children to cram schools.

From the teachers' perspective: To a child, a teacher should be a guide in life. Strengthening a student’s talents allows them to find their drive in life, while walking alongside them and empathizing with their weaknesses helps them overcome obstacles. However, pressured by the system, teachers are forced to rely on demands rather than inspiration. They insist that every child must excel in every single subject. Terrified of falling behind, children feel they have no choice but to go to cram schools.

When the educational system judges a child solely by their grades, when it determines winners and losers by adding up test scores across all subjects, the system begins to look like a factory assembly line. It enforces only one standard of quality control, and any "defective product" must be discarded.

Our children are forced to be "molded" at the school factory by day, and "optimized" at the cram school factory by night. Yet, this aggressive quality-control measure doesn't always work—because children can think and make choices. They are not inanimate products on an assembly line.

As an individual, I may be too small to change a rigid examination culture that has persisted for thousands of years. However, we can understand the struggles our children face. We can encourage them to become their own unique selves.

In the world of tomorrow, success will undoubtedly belong to those who are "creative and possess unique, specialized talents." So, let’s stop being that exhausted mom who "makes life hard for women!"