Some people believe that it is important for children to attend extra classes outside school, while others believe that they should be allowed to play after school. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

In some parts of the world,

children

are forced to go to cram

schools

and other facilities of extracurricular learning, but many people believe that

this

is unfair and that they should be allowed to enjoy their free time

instead

.

This

essay will look at both perspectives and

then

conclude that it is indeed unfair. In countries like South Korea, most

children

are made to go to an array of cram

schools

outside of regular school hours. Their parents do

this

in order to give their child a better future because it helps the child to learn more and

thus

gives them the academic advantages needed to apply to the best universities or jobs in future. These

schools

often provide

children

with an advantage over their peers because they improve their foreign language or math skills more quickly, and

thus

the

children

who do not attend these

schools

might have comparatively poor grades.

However

, whilst

this

attitude may result in better academic performance, it is certainly not good for the mental health of these

children

. It is no coincidence that places like South Korea have the highest rates of suicide among their young populations. The fact is that

children

are not equipped to spend fourteen or sixteen hours per day in classrooms, memorising facts and figures. In a sense, it is a form of child abuse.

Children

should be allowed to go home and spend time with friends and family to build social skills. They should be allowed to occupy themselves in order to become more creative and learn how to understand their own mind

instead

of being trained to repeat what they are told. In conclusion, it is understandable that some parents want their

children

to go to extra classes, but

this

is damaging to

children

and they should be given the freedom to play and socialise outside of regular school hours.