A-1, Changeinmentality,

Happy Land,

P.O.- ∞

12.11.2020

Dear Parents and Society,

To educate oneself is to make the pathway for progression of one's own self and of the society. But the field in which one wants to educate oneself is a completely personal choice. Please don't hesitate to restrain yourself from guiding the students in a way that make it seem like there are just one or two ways in which a child can travel in terms of education else their life will go in vain. Many a times in order to keep up with the choices of parents and the society, the students tend to take up a particular stream only to later on regret about it. Children do understand that you care for them but it's a lifelong burden for them when they know that they are entering a lane that they might not want to visit. 

For the society my wish will be that let's please try and create equal opportunities in different fields so that even the parents can be satisfied when the students want to take up a path that's not their( parents') first choice, else please let's not put and encourage others to put across their points trying to marginalize the parents' thought-process and making them feel that only a certain path of education is appreciated while others are not. 

Encouragement is the key when a student has just completed Class 10 Boards and is on his or her way to decide a path for the future. It's a new phase; a new chapter of life awaits them and as exciting as it might sound, we all know that the decision-making period is a stressful one too. But when they feel that the independence to take the decision for their future has been taken away from them and what stream they ought to choose is a pre-decided fact, that renders them helplessness and more indecisiveness. 

When the choice lies with the student to decide the stream, then the onus of their success or failure in the same lies with them only. In that case, the student doesn't undergo the phase of guilt; guilt of not voicing their opinions hard enough to be able to choose the stream that they want for themselves. Also, when a person chooses a stream of his or her own choice, the urge to find out opportunities to shine, to excel and give their 100 percent comes to them naturally. 

But without telling them the we exact stream that we wish they choose, how can the elder ones of the household guide them? The answer is simple. By making themselves understand at first that their opinion might not match with that of the student. Then, without being partial towards any stream, they are to show the student the advantages and disadvantages of choosing different streams.

Career counseling opportunities have increased to a great extent at the moment. These counseling sessions help a student understand the different perspectives and the stream that would be perfectly suitable for them. Parents would always want the best for their children but this is an arena where even the parents' mindset might by overshadowed by pre-existing notions and thus taking an external help might be a perfect choice.  

Yours truly,

Susta Dasgupta