Australian writer and businesswoman Constance Hall has, once again, bravely spoken a sentiment which many parents silently feel about their kids. But this time, she’s shared a heartbreaking reality for many school children, including her own daughter.
The 35-year-old, who is mother to Billie-Violet, Arlo-Love, twins Rumi and Snow, and Raja, as well as step-kids Zeyke and Sunny with her husband Denim Cooke, posted a photo of her eldest daughter on Instagram on the weekend, with a commentary about school competitions.
The photo shows Billie-Violet drawing a lion sketch at home.
“There is this school in Melbourne that makes all of the kids draw a picture in front of the school,” Hall writes in the caption.
“One by one they have to stand up at assembly and draw a portrait. While the whole school including the parents watch.”
Hall says this process makes some of the children cry, especially as they are also ranked by their deemed talent. As the reader becomes increasingly horrified by Hall’s revelation about the school, she says, “Just kidding”, and explains she’s used the fictional story as an example of how unfair school competitions, such as swimming carnivals, are on kids.
Especially for those who have other strengths, such as in art, like Billie-Violet. Hall continued:
“As I wiped tears away from my daughter’s eyes who didn’t want to go to school yet again for yet another swimming race for her to entertain the school with her lack of skills, I said to her, ‘and this is why you are such a beautiful fit with art’.”
It’s then that Hall calls out the double standard between sports and the creative arts.
“There is no winning and no losing and no pats on the back for at least giving it a shot,” she notes.
“Everyone is fucking fabulous even if you just splashed a tin of paint all over a all and rolled around in it while singing along to Queen.”
Hall says that whilst she has nothing against competitive sport as such, she feels there’s too much emphasis placed on the public performance of it in schools.
As a final note, Hall concludes the post by observing that her daughter’s school only does music as a subject every second year – an example of what the education department feels is a priority.
The post echoed sentiments which many parents feel, as evidenced by most of the comments.
“Yup, I’m thinking the same thing,” one wrote.
“Bang on! I just want my kids to know what lights their fire, and to love learning. If you take the fear out of learning anything is possible,” said another.
One parent noted, “Schools are killing creativity and forcing kids to fit a one size fits all world when not a single one of us is the same and shouldn’t be expected to be the same.”
The post is another example of Hall’s trademark refreshing honesty. Last month, she posted a photo of herself hiding from her family after a disastrous morning, and earlier this year, she defended herself after being attacked after she was photographed on her phone and drinking a soft drink when she had just given birth.
Top Comments
Schools certainly have reduced education in the arts and humanities.
It may, however, give the kids who are good at swimming or athletics but hopeless at art or maths or english a chance to shine when the rest of the time THEY feel like everyone is laughing at them.