SECONDARY school boys are, perhaps, at an age where they are becoming more self-conscious, and can be reluctant to step out of their comfort zone to approach friends or relatives to sell their schools' carnival tickets or volunteer themselves to other school causes ("Carnival tickets: Students feel sales 'pressure'"; last Saturday).
Primary school boys, on the other hand, are more eager and willing to help. Thus, some pushing is necessary to get the older children to help out.
Even in the home, many parents would have found that older children need more pushing before they will help out.
Ultimately, school life is more than academic learning.
It is also about sports, community projects and other school activities, such as the carnival in this case.
It would be a pity for students and parents to apply zeal only to the area of academic learning, while treating all other school activities as deserving less of their effort.
Grace Chua Siew Hwee (Madam)
Primary school boys, on the other hand, are more eager and willing to help. Thus, some pushing is necessary to get the older children to help out.
Even in the home, many parents would have found that older children need more pushing before they will help out.
Ultimately, school life is more than academic learning.
It is also about sports, community projects and other school activities, such as the carnival in this case.
It would be a pity for students and parents to apply zeal only to the area of academic learning, while treating all other school activities as deserving less of their effort.
Grace Chua Siew Hwee (Madam)
