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Walk a new path
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SOUND OFF! Allow children to chase their dreams, says Rashmi Kantharaja
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Of the many innovations aimed at catering to busier people with short attention spans, one Kannada channel regularly telecasts a programme offering one-minute, fun-oriented games. Over the weekend, I happened to catch one episode of the show, which
featured children in the age group of four and five years taking part in a tri-cycle race.
Every child that came to participate was asked what he or she wants to be in future and the answer was invariably engineer or doctor. Of around 10 children only one child said “District Collector”. I really appreciated him, not so much for his career choice, but for his ability to pronounce the words so well at his age.
The last participant’s wish was the one that finally caught my attention. When asked what he wanted to be, the stock answer was to be a doctor. But when asked what sort of a doctor, the little fellow innocently said “Engineer Doctor”! My impulsive reaction to this was to laugh out loud. But a little later, I was depressed about how adults have corrupted the minds of children. A child is simply expected to accomplish the dreams of his or her parents and like it too, not knowing if alternatives exist, if the path chosen in advance suits his or her interests. It’s no wonder children are so confused and pressurised. In the case mentioned above, it looked like his parents unable to come to a conclusion. I don’t mean that being an engineer or doctor is not good, but certainly it isn’t good if it is not out of one’s own will. If one is compelled to dream of being a doctor or an engineer, then who fills the need for good dancers, painters, singers, bureaucrats, lawyers, scientists and so on?
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