India already has the dubious distinction of having among the highest youth suicide rates in the world – suicides that are typically connected to academic performance and failure. Much of the stress of academics comes from parental expectations and it would seem that these parental expectations and aspirations start really young. Apparently there is no escape; even for two year old pre nursery kids!
Competition begins really young – children as young as two years of age are attending coaching classes. Why? So that they can crack admission tests – for nursery admission interviews! Since it is illegal to conduct such nursery-KG admission interviews, such ‘coaching classes’ are not openly advertised and are covertly referred to as 'conversation classes' or 'GK classes'.
Ambitious parents, wanting to ensure that their children get admission into the most desirable schools are willing to spend lakhs to prepare for those interviews. Such parents seem unaware of the learning capabilities of children at this age and are perhaps unaware of or want to overlook the mental pressure that this would create on kids.
It isn't just the kids; the parents also train for the admission test or the all important ‘nursery interview’. Spoken English, personality development and months of training as well as practicing answering a list of most-likely-to-be-asked questions – all this goes into making the all important good impression on the nursery interview panel!
Apart from the classes and the home coaching and interview drills, parents don’t leave any stone unturned to get into the most prestigious schools; including propitiating the gods. Bizarre deals are made with God: going off non-veg food, drinking or partying for instance. Poojas are conducted, astrologers are consulted and even children’s birthdates are changed, with new birth certificates being issued.
Admission time is when IAS and IPS officials with some influence become popular in the extreme. Pulling strings, using ‘influence’ and ‘sifarish’ is the time honoured way of doing anything in India; why not for nursery school admissions!
Getting admissions is only the beginning for that pressured little child beginning their academic life. Right from the word go, they are enrolled for tuition classes. There are services such as these pictured above; which help you find the “best nursery KG tuition” in your city. With this kind of over-scheduling of time and academic pressure thrust upon kids from this early age, is it any wonder that student suicide rates in India are what they are?
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