I recently watched a TV show about Waldorf-schools. They are also known as Rudolf-Steiner schools.
In Germany there are a lot of them. I often heard jokes about them. Many ridiculize that people learn there how to dance their name at these schools. I am no expert and never visited one. I won't have kids but I would never send them to such a school if I had some. The root for these schools is Anthroposophy which is a spiritualist movement. It has to do with esoteric. Many of their concepts sound like insane superstition. I think you learn a lot of unnecessary bullshit there. Instead you lack some really helpful skills.
I can understand from which standpoint they look at the German school system. There is for sure a lot of performance pressure which causes many problems. However we are gladly quite distant to Japanese or Korean standards.
I mean performance pressure ruined my life, made me an unhappy mental wreck with a consciousness as a torture machine. But I see both sides of the extreme as damaging. Though the school was not the main root of the pressure. It was clearly my mom maybe also my dad. They seriously blamed the school after my breakdown. No teacher ever hit, kicked or screamed at me for not studying hard enough. Something my mom did on a regular daily basis. The starting point was the age of 7. (the starting point of the more systematic abuse.) Of course also the bullies contributed to my nightmarish life. But I have to say personally I see the neglect to protect kids from bullies worse than the performance pressure at German schools. However maybe I am just used to extreme pressure so I don't really care about less severe pressure.
I have a friend who struggles to study for college. I think he feels like his parents might should have taught him more discipline. But I think they were probably very good parents. It is just extremely difficult to raise your kids properly. There are so many things that can go wrong. Things one barely can influence. I would never want kids my mental state is way too fragile. I don't think I would be a good parent. I cannot even handle my own issues.
So my answer to the question is it has to be balanced. One should try to show the kids that education and learning new things can be interesting and exciting. However I think I would project many neurosis and insecurities on my kids. As my mom did with her focus on envying rich people. Trying to create a new better version of yourself is in my opinion often detrimental. Kids should not have to live up to the standards which their paretns set. With my personal experience I have to say maybe too less pressure is probably better than too much.
In Germany there are a lot of them. I often heard jokes about them. Many ridiculize that people learn there how to dance their name at these schools. I am no expert and never visited one. I won't have kids but I would never send them to such a school if I had some. The root for these schools is Anthroposophy which is a spiritualist movement. It has to do with esoteric. Many of their concepts sound like insane superstition. I think you learn a lot of unnecessary bullshit there. Instead you lack some really helpful skills.
I can understand from which standpoint they look at the German school system. There is for sure a lot of performance pressure which causes many problems. However we are gladly quite distant to Japanese or Korean standards.
I mean performance pressure ruined my life, made me an unhappy mental wreck with a consciousness as a torture machine. But I see both sides of the extreme as damaging. Though the school was not the main root of the pressure. It was clearly my mom maybe also my dad. They seriously blamed the school after my breakdown. No teacher ever hit, kicked or screamed at me for not studying hard enough. Something my mom did on a regular daily basis. The starting point was the age of 7. (the starting point of the more systematic abuse.) Of course also the bullies contributed to my nightmarish life. But I have to say personally I see the neglect to protect kids from bullies worse than the performance pressure at German schools. However maybe I am just used to extreme pressure so I don't really care about less severe pressure.
I have a friend who struggles to study for college. I think he feels like his parents might should have taught him more discipline. But I think they were probably very good parents. It is just extremely difficult to raise your kids properly. There are so many things that can go wrong. Things one barely can influence. I would never want kids my mental state is way too fragile. I don't think I would be a good parent. I cannot even handle my own issues.
So my answer to the question is it has to be balanced. One should try to show the kids that education and learning new things can be interesting and exciting. However I think I would project many neurosis and insecurities on my kids. As my mom did with her focus on envying rich people. Trying to create a new better version of yourself is in my opinion often detrimental. Kids should not have to live up to the standards which their paretns set. With my personal experience I have to say maybe too less pressure is probably better than too much.
