A
female
age
26-29,
anonymous
writes:I'm an incoming freshman who attends public school. Its a good school, but not the best. Its just a regular school but has alot of very intelligent people. Anyway, earlier this year course selection. You teachers would write down our reccomended classes and we'd choose electives. However, our parents could override a teachers recomendation. I was in a honors math class that did 9th grade math (while i was in 8th grade). This year I will be taking 10th grade math, not 10th grade honors. However, some people in my class will be taking 10th grade honors. I got reccomended for the 10th grade math, honors history, honors english, and regular science. A few of my friends got the same reccomendation, but their parents overrrode and got them all honors classes. They're scared out of their minds, and i was wondering why their parents would make them take these classes. This wasn't meant to be taken condesendingly at all, sorry if it seemed that way. Thanks :) Reply to this Question
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reader, anonymous, writes (28 July 2011): Basically I think everybody is good at different things. We can't all be scientists because thats what our parents want us to be. So I still stick by my point that it is unfair for parents to push a particular subject or level onto a student that would just not feel able to cope with it. The stress of that is tremendous.
In order to do well at a subject its half the battle if you already hold an interest in it. You would be more likely to get better get that doing a subject you detested.
You should choose subjects you enjoy, a university course you enjoy, and a career you enjoy. You don't want to look back and say yeah i only did that subject/course to make my parents happy. We all have our own, level of capability, interests, likes and dislikes.
I think once the student is interested in something, has ambition and strives to achieve that ambition, Well they're are doin alright in my opinion. Nobody has the right to decide what career a person should do.
A
male
reader, idoneitagain  +, writes (28 July 2011):
Parents want the best for their kids. Sometimes, parents do it for the wrong reasons, they want their kids to do well so they can show the world how special their kids are, and how great they must be as parents to have such special kids. In the mean time, the kids often are the ones who suffer trying to be what their parents want them to be.
Sometimes it can be a good thing to push people to achieve, even if they are scared, they might achieve more than they thought they are capable of. However, often it is a case of the parents wanting to look good by having high achieving kids.
If you trust your own intelligence, it is always best for you to determine what is right and wrong for you to do, and to let other people do the same.
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (28 July 2011): As a university student now, I wish my parents had pushed me when I was still at school, I regret not having worked harder at school, especially in maths and science subjects. You don't understand it when you are young and you just want to do fun stuff and everything at school is forced on you, but later if you carry on your education, you realise how important it is not only to get good marks, but to really understand the subject material, to be able to write well, and all the other skills you will need in your career. Not all parents want bragging rights, most probably just don't want their kids to take the easy way out.
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reader, anonymous, writes (27 July 2011): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionThanks :)
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reader, anonymous, writes (27 July 2011): It doesn't come across condesendingly :)
In my opinion its totally unfair to push your child into something that they just are not able for, especially if the school as much said so, like they would know, they are trained in knowing what a student is and isn't capable of, although there are exceptions.
If the student felt they were not able for it and the school did not reccomend an honours level well its totally unfair of parents to "overide" what I believe to be the two most important opinions. So I think your friends should speak up and tell their parents.
To answer your question "why do parents put their kids into honours classes they aren't ready for" Well its so they can boast to other parents about their intelligent children doing all honours and in certain subjects they themselves were not capable of doing, because they want their child to be something they couldn't be themselves. They want their children to live their dream.
I hope you enjoy your subjects and everything works out for you.
Good Luck.x
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A
female
reader, person12345 +, writes (27 July 2011):
 Because their parents want them to take what they view to be the best most rigorous classes so it will prepare them for college and look better on their transcripts.
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