Hong Kong's gifted and high-achieving students feel pressured and stressed with their parents' expectations, a new survey conducted by the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education has found. Brightest youngsters are also more likely to get agitated and might be suffering emotional distress when parents expect too much from them.
According to the South China Morning Post, the academy a government-subsidized organization supporting gifted children in Hong Kong aged 10 to 18, with about 10,000 members. About 801 gifted Primary Four to Six students were involved in the survey and were polled in early 2017.
The survey discovered that even the brightest pupils in the city suffer under parents' demands. There's a higher chance gifted children will be perfectionist of themselves, and they might find schoolwork boring due to parents' expectations. Their chance of experiencing intense reactions, like agitation, was about 66 percent, compared to 30 percent of those who don't feel the pressure.
Dr. Eric Fung Tze-ho, head of the academy's research division, suggests parents should create a healthy balance and talk to their kids regarding their goals - such as how to set a realistic goal. The results of the survey were also similar to that conducted by a Chinese University involving 872 secondary school pupils, wherein it found a direct correlation between depression in students and high parental expectations.
The phrase "add oil" originated from a Cantonese expression and it was recently included to the Oxford English Dictionary. The phrase is used to express support, incitement, or encouragement - particularly said to students who are taking exams.
Lawrence Yu Ho-wing, who is now pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Oxford, shared that when he was still in secondary school, his parents used to tell him to "add oil" before taking exams. As a gifted kid, he thought that saying "add oil" means he's not working hard enough.
Meanwhile, a mother from the mainland shared how her 15-year-old daughter became angry in primary school when she was told to revise more before taking exams. She said her daughter was always second on her class, and very seldom first, so she thought telling her to "revise" a bit would make her do better. But she said, the situation has now improved, and she learned to listen to her daughter.
The Education Bureau stated children are considered gifted if they have exceptional achievement or potential in one or more areas. Some of these include outstanding performance in athletics, superior talent in visual and performing arts, creative thinking, and high level of measured intelligence.
