Giftedness
The New York Magazine has a pretty interesting article on intelligence tests for very young children and the pressure that is being piled on them at their age. Basically: Pass the tests and get into the best schools or fail and be doomed to live a life of mediocrity or failure, you have no choice in the matter, you fail and you have no chance of ever making it in life, so study hard, child, study hard!
I was actually quite surprised a few years ago when I saw banners around the city promoting review classes for college entrance exams–and pre-school entrance exams. Which is pretty odd. Your child’s a child. He or she is supposed to be going to school to learn and acquire knowledge, and at a young age, he or she isn’t equipped with a whole lot of it yet. If the child doesn’t do well in the entrance exams, then schools are basically blocking him or her from exploring his or her full potential.