Should parents push their child to excel?

Carmen (South Korea)

I was brought up with education as the number one priority. My parents expected the usual straight As and stuff, but encouraged independent thinking and personality. By high school I could do anything I wanted, go out and have fun whenever I wanted as long as I kept my grades up. There is a negative aspect to a strict Asian upbringing. Take my cousins in China. They lack personality and independent thinking. Most are very dependent on their parents and unwilling to take risks. However, I can understand why parents in Asia continue with their strict upbringing. It's not just the culture itself, but how society works. If you're not at the top of your class and don't get into the top school, you could be permanently stuck in a lowly job (a shame to the family). Everything is about competition, but there are pros and cons. Asia is way too strict on academics, America is way too lenient: combine the two and students will be a force to be reckoned with.