Dr.Nitesh Singh
Assisant Professor and HoD, Division of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, SGT University,
Gurugram. There was a time when a child returning from school meant homework, outdoor games, friends, family conversations and perhaps a few hours of television or reading. Today, the picture is changing rapidly. For many children, the school bell does not mark the end of the academic day. It marks the beginning of another round of classes.School, homework, foundation course, test, revision, coaching and another test the cycle can begin surprisingly early. Parents understandably want the best for their children. In an increasingly competitive world, they worry that if their child does not start early, others may move ahead. This has contributed to the growing popularity of foundation courses for school students, particularly for future competitive examinations. But an uncomfortable question deserves our attention:
Are we building a strong foundation for children, or are we building pressure on them before they are mature enough to understand why they are competing?
The idea of foundation is not wrong
Foundation courses, by themselves, are not necessarily a problem. They can help students strengthen concepts, overcome learning gaps, develop problem-solving abilities and gain confidence in subjects such as Mathematics and Science. For some students, additional academic support can be genuinely useful.The problem begins when coaching becomes a social expectation rather than an educational requirement.A child may spend most of the day at school and then attend coaching for two or three more hours. After returning home, there are assignments, homework and revision. Weekends may bring mock tests and additional classes. Something important gets lost in this schedule: time to be a child. Children need time to play, read, talk with their families, participate in sports, learn music or art, explore nature, make friends and sometimes simply do nothing. These are not distractions from education. They are part of education.
When learning becomes comparison
Academic pressure becomes even stronger when children are continuously compared. “How much did you score?” ; “Which coaching centre are you joining?” ; “Your friend has already started preparing.” ; “Why did your classmate score more?” Such questions may be asked with good intentions, but repeated comparison can gradually make children believe that their value is determined by marks and rankings. Competition has its place. It can encourage students to work hard. But education should not become a permanent race. Children are still discovering their interests and personalities. A student who loves science today may discover a passion for literature, agriculture, design, entrepreneurship, sports or social sciences tomorrow.
Exploration is not wasted time
Exploration is part of growing up. Let schools build the foundation.
If foundation courses are intended to build fundamental knowledge, the first responsibility should naturally lie with schools. Schools should focus on conceptual understanding rather than simply completing the syllabus. Laboratory work, projects, discussions, experiments, reading, problem-solving, communication, sports, arts and experiential learning can create much stronger foundations than examination-oriented instruction alone. Students who need additional help should receive it. But every child should not automatically be treated as a future competitive-examination candidate.
Coaching should be a support system, not a second school. Is early coaching really necessary?
We should also reconsider the age at which intensive competitive preparation begins. Before Class XII, children are still developing academically, socially and emotionally. Their career interests may not yet be clear. Pushing them too early towards a particular examination or profession can sometimes replace curiosity with anxiety.This does not mean that students should not study seriously before Class XII. Strong fundamentals, discipline and good study habits are extremely important. But there is a difference between building fundamentals and beginning an intensive examination race. After Class XII, students are generally better positioned to understand their interests and make informed choices about higher education and career pathways. Those who decide to prepare for professional or competitive examinations can then choose specialised coaching if they genuinely require it. The decision should be based on the student’s goals and needs not simply on the fear that everyone else is doing it.
We should prepare children for IITs and medical colleges without making IITs and medical colleges the centre of their childhood.
The pressure does not end
The pressure does not end with school
Unfortunately, the pressure often continues into graduation. University students are expected to maintain good grades while completing assignments, projects and practical work. At the same time, they are encouraged to collect internships, certifications, technical skills, communication skills and extracurricular achievements.
Then comes another question:
“What will you do after graduation?”
The competition changes its form
In school, students compare marks. In college, they compare internships, certificates, placements, salaries, entrance examinations and career achievements. Social media can make this pressure even stronger. Students see the success stories of their peers but rarely see the failures, uncertainty and struggles behind them. The result can be a continuous educational race:
School → Foundation Coaching → Competitive Preparation → Class XII → Graduation → Certifications → Competitive Exams → Placement Pressure.
There is nothing wrong with ambition
There is nothing wrong with preparation.
The concern is whether students are being given enough time to understand who they are and what they actually want.
What should parents do?
Parents can play a major role in changing this culture. Instead of asking only, “How many marks did you get?”, they can ask: “What did you learn today?” “What did you enjoy?” “What was difficult?” “What would you like to explore?” These simple questions shift the focus from performance to learning. Parents should also resist the pressure to send children to coaching simply because other children are attending. Fear should never become an educational strategy. What should society do? The responsibility does not belong only to parents and schools. Society must also reconsider its definition of success. If we celebrate only high marks, prestigious institutions, competitive-examination ranks and high-paying jobs, parents will naturally feel compelled to push their children towards the same goals. But society needs teachers, researchers, scientists, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, farmers, artists, designers, skilled professionals, social workers and people working in countless other fields.
Every student has different abilities
We must also stop comparing one child’s journey with another’s. Every student has different abilities, interests, circumstances and learning speeds. Schools should strengthen classroom learning. Parents should reduce unnecessary comparison. Universities should provide meaningful opportunities for research, innovation, internships and career exploration. Society should respect diverse career choices. And students should be given the freedom to discover themselves.
Perhaps the real foundation course is different
A foundation is not merely a collection of formulas, facts and examination techniques. A real foundation includes curiosity, confidence, creativity, communication, discipline, resilience, physical well-being, emotional maturity and independent thinking. If a child can solve hundreds of examination questions but is afraid to ask a question, have we really built a strong foundation? If a student has excellent marks but has never had the opportunity to discover what he or she genuinely enjoys, can we say that education has achieved its full purpose? Perhaps the real foundation course our children need is one that teaches them how to learn, how to think, how to communicate and how to live.
Playing is not a waste of time
We should not expect a ten-year-old to think like a twenty-year-old competitive-examination candidate. Playing is not a waste of time. Reading beyond the syllabus is not a waste of time. Sports are not a waste of time. Art and music are not a waste of time. Spending time with family is not a waste of time. Exploring nature is not a waste of time. These experiences help develop the very qualities that education ultimately seeks to nurture. The purpose of education should not be to keep children permanently prepared for the next examination. It should be to develop young people who are curious enough to learn, confident enough to ask questions, resilient enough to face failure and mature enough to make their own decisions. Perhaps, therefore, the question we should ask is not: “How early should we start coaching?” but: “How early can we start meaningful learning and how can we make sure that learning does not become a burden?” A strong foundation is not built by filling every hour of a child’s day. It is built by giving children knowledge, opportunities, guidance and enough space to grow.
