Coaching Classes from Grade 8 ? What you get and what you loose..

Few years ago

The age of grade 8 and grade 9 in schools is an awesome time. Time to break free from  the secured limitations imposed by the system for safety. time to explore the life.. time to watch movies in theatres with friends, time to go out for camps and adventure trips.. time to participate in various activities and competitions out of the school periphery as well. Actually a time to taste the life in its true sense …

Now

" Time to decide which foundation Class should I join to make my concepts clear and sound ( although I have been studying in best school in the town that charges  annual fee more than what my mom and dad both together paid for their entire schooling. ) Its time to attend school from 7 am to maybe 4 – 5 pm and then attend foundation classes from 6 pm to 8 pm… then self study from 8 pm onwards and then dinner and then sleep maybe at 1 am or 2 am in the early morning. Saturdays and Sundays I have assignments / weekly tests and my weekly extracurricular class as well to attend . Then occasionally we go for some outing with family…That’s how my life moves on as a teenager ." would be the words of any teenager these days . 

The other day the Paanwala near our office was asking me, Sir how is that class ? .. its name is ….ALLEN .. I said why ?  he said “ my son is asking that he wants to join their class ..

I said  “ does your son want to become an engineer ? which class is he currently studying ? “

No.. no .. Nothing like that .. he is just  in 8^th standard and he doesn’t know what will he become .. he will do whatever he likes we will not force him… but he was saying that all his friends are joining the Allen Class .. He also wants to join.   the fee is something 1.5 Lac + I thought you may know something so I asked you.

Such is the environment  being created that, in a society where tuition classes were once  considered to be a taboo, something only to be attended by academically weak students,  are now considered as MUST have by everyone.. it has almost become a norm from grade 11 onwards and  from grade 8 onwards in considerable number of cases.  … and no parent wants to be labelled as someone who looks at money when it comes to his child’s education, so even if he cant afford or doesn’t want  he is sending the child to the coaching class somehow. Its as if that parents slog their time to just fund the various bills like home loan, car loan and child’s education …

What we as parents  don’t realize is that,  just  repeating 10 times all that a child learns at school is not making him smart neither is it preparing him for the future he has to face. Pushing child in any foundation / tuition/ coaching  class as a rule is like making him sit in the same classroom of his school for 14-15 hours

What Best can happen in this situation is that the child may master the academic concepts in maths / science .. Nothing more … infact I have seen many many students who are more stressed out after joining coaching classes than they were earlier about academics, resulting in actual poor performance. 

What he loses however in this crucial time is

Building his personality for different kinds of challenges ahead which no one knows, how and from where will they strike. The Child loses important time, resources and opportunities that build various Life skills in him.

Thousands of engineers / other graduates who have attended various classes between their grade 8 to grade 12  and have completed their  engineering / other graduation are roaming jobless now.. and the reasons quoted by various professional surveys and agencies is that they do not possess skills which can make them employable?

Employability of engineers is at 57.44%, Employability of MBA / B.com grads is at 60%

Employability of MCA/ BCA is 30% , Employability of BSc grads is at 37%

 ( Please refer India skills report 2023 )

So how do we ensure that our children do not fall on the wrong side of employability matrix rather are part of the Top 10% employable talent in the country .

First, parents need to relax. There is no need for all to become engineers or doctors , secondly there is no need for all to hatch on to the bandwagon of the private coaching classes. There is no guarantee that if your child isn’t meant for engineering, any classes will be able to make him engineer. On the contrary if he is  Engineer/ Doctor material he wont really need any class .

So avoid pushing  your child into early preparatory classes, as it can lead to burnout and high levels of stress. Instead, focus on providing a supportive environment that encourages your child to explore his / her  interests and passions.

You may use your surplus funds to spend on generating resources that will give your child experiences of life. For activities that will build his life skills or maybe use it for his education later.

So what should students do during the 3 crucial years of grade 8/9/10 ?

Here I offer some long term but concrete actions that will provide the necessary solutions. Profile building is an important step that every teenager should start in grade 8 and continue till grade 12.

 

Profile building activities that lead to better Employability development in Students

1. Communication Skills: Communication is an essential skill required in almost every job. And most of the time we all ignore this important skill assuming that everyone has it by default .. or learns by default .  No It doesn’t happen that way. Check with any Midlevel or  senior person in any corporate and he will tell you the reality of communication skills in young professionals. Hence  encourage  your child  to participate in debates, group discussions, public speaking events, and writing competitions. Students can also join clubs or societies focused on writing or public speaking. Reading books, newspapers, and magazines can help improve vocabulary and grammar. Dont consider these activities as waste of time.. they are investment. 

 

2. Leadership and Teamwork: I am sure you are aware that even in school projects there are few students who don’t do anything. they just are part of the team and copy paste the work done by other team members.  is your child of this type ? then its an alert . Being a team player and taking the lead when necessary is crucial in the workplace. Encourage  your child  to participate actively  in team projects, take up responsibility and fulfill it on time. Participate in  extracurricular activities, and volunteering.  He / she  can also attend leadership workshops and conferences.

 

3. Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: These skills are highly valued by employers. Quite often even you may find this difficult to understand. Hence Encourage  your child  to participate in science or math competitions that require problem-solving skills. he can also practice logical reasoning, puzzles, and brain teasers. Attending workshops on critical thinking and problem-solving can be helpful. Additionally, his active participation in various events / activities exposes him to various problems and challenges which he learns to solve and move ahead.

 

4. Digital and Data Literacy: In today's digital age, proficiency in technology is a valuable skill. If your child is spending a lot of time on mobile / laptop doesn’t really mean he is digitally literate. So check what exactly he knows and does in digital world.  Many grads who are recent pass outs, really don’t know how to effectively work on MS excel or word. Encourage  your child  to learn things like basic computer programming, web design, and graphic design. How to use various digital tools like various softwares , technologies like chat GPT etc.  They can also attend workshops or online courses to learn about new software and applications.

 

5. Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence includes self-awareness, empathy, and the ability to manage emotions effectively. This is something we know but are clueless what to do if our child is on the wrong side of this parameter. Just pointing out and instructing the child to control his anger, or not get disturbed or not react etc doesn’t really help . Hence encourage your child to participate in activities that foster emotional intelligence, such as mindfulness and meditation. They can also read books on emotional intelligence and attend workshops, Participations in various group activities exposes him to emotions  that are triggered by disappointments, rejections, acceptance, achievement etc and in turn fosters his ability to face them. Additionally conversational dialogues  that connect with your child can help you make him aware about various emotions and how to face those emotions for self and also in case of others.

 

6. Creativity: As more and more mundane and simple tasks are being taken over by technology, professional of tomorrow needs to standout by being creative. Make sure your child regularly engages into activities that push him to be creative. This does not necessarily mean putting into drawing / design classes. Quite often competitions like Dance and Drama, Robotics, Start up ideathons, and so on foster creativity considerably

Some additional tips  to build employability skills while you are engaged with academics ( classes)

1. Time Management: Students can learn time management skills by creating a study schedule that includes time for extracurricular activities and hobbies. They can also practice prioritizing tasks and setting achievable goals.
2. Networking: Encourage students to attend career fairs, job-shadowing opportunities, and internships. This helps them gain insight into different careers and build relationships with professionals in their fields of interest.
3. Seeking Mentors: Students can find mentors who can provide guidance and support in their academic and career pursuits. Mentors can help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and provide feedback on their performance.

Overall, it is essential to strike a balance between academic preparation and building employability skills. Encourage your child to explore his interests and passions, participate in extracurricular activities, and seek out opportunities to develop their skills. By doing so, he will be well-prepared to enter the job market and succeed in his career.

 

Hope you like this piece of advice ..

Do let me know your opinions and suggestions

Avinaash Deshmukh 

Youth and career Coach 

connect with me 

avinashdeshmukh@brainsmaart.com

9657600076