Are Indian Parents Much Stricter on Education?

According to a study carried out by HSBC, Indian parents have most aspirations for their children when it comes to qualifications for higher education. The survey revealed that 91% of Indian parents want their children to pursue an undergraduate degree and 88% want them to possess a postgraduate degree or even more. These figures show the special interest that Indian parents have in their children’s education. As a comparison, it is good to note that only 60% of parents from the United States expressed their wish for their children to pursue an undergraduate degree and 30% of them showed interest in a higher degree for their children. These facts could easily lead one to think that Indian parents are much stricter when it comes to their children’s education.

Interested Parents

It is important to know that Indian parents are not only concerned about their children’s education, but they also try to get actively involved. This involvement takes a few forms. For instance, some parents join the School Board of the Parents-Teachers Association committee. They are mainly formal types of involvement that allow the parents to have a certain say in the way their children’s education is being done. There are also less formal types of involvement. For example, Indian parents like to join school events for their children. They might come along to a sports event or attend a school concert. For them, it is mostly a way to stay actively involved in their children’s lives. Other parents also conduct activities in the house to support learning.

It can be said that the parents’ involvement is both school based and home based. The extent of this involvement is, of course, limited by certain factors. Some parents are very busy in their own lives. Both the mother and the father may have office jobs and get back home late evening. Also, although it is less frequent to encounter such family, there are parents who give less importance to their children’s education. They rely entirely on the school to educate the child and provide all academic support. However, most Indian parents are otherwise. They make the time to focus on their children’s education.

Concerned Parents

Why the stereotype that the Indian parents are stricter if all they do is look after their children’s education? While some parents merely encourage, support and provide for their children’s education needs, others basically impose themselves. This is where the line is crossed. It is understandable that all parents want the best for their children. All parents want to see their children have successful careers and comfortable lives. However, it is important to take the child’s personal aspirations into consideration as well. In the case of Indian parents, they have fallen prey to the engineering, medical, law and management traps. Indian parents believe these are the studies their children need to pursue in order to achieve success in their lives. Other courses such as fashion design, photography and arts are given less important when, in fact, a child can absolutely like any of these.

We cannot really blame Indian parents. The number of college applicants in India is ever rising. Also, the unemployment rate in India is alarming. Therefore, it is no wonder that parents are worried about their children’s future. Parents realize that the future of their children is at stake under such conditions. If they do not perform well in studies, the chances of finding a decent job, later on, are significantly reduced. Moreover, reputation is a big asset for many Indians. Making their children success in their lives is also a matter of prestige. Indian parents feel the need to show the society that their family is reputable, educated and responsible. Another simple reason for the educational pressure on Indian students is the need to rise above all odds. Many people are poor in India. However, these poor parents strive hard to make their children rise above poverty.

Listen to Your Parents: Act Wisely

Our parents obviously have more life experience than us. They know better about how the world functions and about what is good and bad. However, Indian parents seem to be forcing their children into engineering, law, medical and management schools. This shows their strictness when it comes to their children’s education. Nevertheless, their strictness should not shadow their love, care and affection for their children. The only way for Indian parents and their children to find common grounds is communication. Sometimes, our parents are unaware of what we really want. They think whatever they are doing is in our best interest. If an Indian child is not comfortable with a certain choice along his educational path, he should voice out his opinion and express himself in a polite and thoughtful manner.

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