What are we doing to our children? Gone are the days when our children only attended school and if necessary took tuition for specific subject. This meant they had quite a large amount of time for extra-curricular activities.

That is why we had large pool of candidates to represent us at the various levels in sports, debates, educational competitions, socialisation etc. The bulk of them also did not suffer any serious decay in their character and/or personalities.

But what is happening now? After school hours, children are sent to tuition class after tuition class assuming that these students will excel and be on top of their examinations.

The majority of working parents send their children for tuition for this reason. However, some of them send their children for tuition so that they are kept ‘occupied’ (meaning would not indulge in negative activities) until they return home.

However, do these parents really check whether their children attend their tuition classes regularly? Do they check on what their children do when they are free (whether within or outside the home)?

Yes, of course, children would perform better with tuition but we should not forget that in certain subjects, the children can do equally well without any tuition. The parents and the teachers are the people who could identify such subjects.

In certain extreme cases, the students are influenced to take up more subjects for their exams than necessary. Some take nearly double the minimum subjects need to be taken for an examination.

I would say this practice is unhealthy and would put unnecessary pressure on the children.The authorities should reduce the ceiling for the number of subjects to be taken for each examination.

Today, for better careers, academic qualifications have become secondary. Why? There are around 400 public and private universities, university colleges, polytechnics and public and private colleges in Malaysia.

Do not forget those who go overseas to obtain their qualifications. I still remember in the 1970s that those who had obtained general undergraduate degrees such as a B.A., B.Sc, B. Econ were absorbed into both the public and private sectors to fill in vacancies at the officer level and above.

However, the demand for such graduates is shrinking year by year and many of the graduates are ‘pressured from within’ to accept whatever positions as long as they are not jobless.

A perfect example of this is the plight of15,000-odd graduates which came into limelight when it was said that their services were supposed to be terminated this year. Fortunately, the government has assured them that their services will be extended.

Coming back our children, both the parents and children should realise the reality that a degree alone is not enough to get a decent job today. What else do they need?

If you ask me, I would say, apart from academic qualifications, they would need to master the art of convincing, of impressing and of being a team player.

If you look at these extra qualities, you will notice that the basic foundation for all of them is the command o languages (as for Malaysians, they must master Bahasa Melayu, English and Mandarin).

I feel that these languages should be taught in all the primary schools until the secondary school level. I know some might object to this but let us look at the reality and understand the contemporary needs of the job market.

Let us be smart in guiding and preparing our children to face the future without any hitch.