Page 42 - Demo

A 12-year-old slumps on her chair, burying her nose into her textbooks. A middle- aged woman glances over her head. Nothing but silence. The child knows if she looks up for a single second, she would only be greeted with her mother’s shrieks. Eyes aching and stomach rumbling, she thinks hard: What’s the next line? As she stifles a yawn, unknownst to her, her mother heaves a heavy sigh. We could have gone out today, mother thinks. Parenting did not use to be this hard.
This saddening sight is not uncommon nowadays. Hong Kong is known for its long study hours and challenging public examinations, and this academic- oriented lifestyle seems to have earned the city a renowned international status, wearing PISA scores and overseas scholarships like a badge. However, beneath all these sparkling names of fame is a group of people who use their blood, sweat and tears to obtain them — they are the students, and they give everything they have to their teachers, parents, and community, only to find their own opportunities lost.
When we were younger, there were always things we really wanted to do. They ranged from pursuits that benefit our well-being, activities that strengthen relationships, to just pastimes that spark our interests. We ought to grasp these precious opportunities and create wonderful memories from them. However, with the idea of studying hovering over students’ heads nowadays, consider these chances lost.
I didn’t have time for piano lessons, so I quit.
My family originally planned to go to Thailand this Easter, but I had to take my exams instead.
The above experiences have surely happened to most students before. Just when they are about to go out and have fun, their homework columns suddenly pile up, then it’s back to work. They get so occupied with their schoolwork. Studies have shown that Hong Kong students study for an average of 55 hours per week; that they simply have no time to spare for their own play. A University of Hong Kong study revealed that some primary school students were given less outdoor time for exercise than prisoners. However, children start learning from a young age from what they see, hear, and most importantly, what they do, but not what they
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