Our Society’s Obsession with Studying Science Subjects

    

Written by Shannon M De Souza

    Parents begin planning for their children's futures as soon as they are born, and one of the most essential and common things they plan for their children is their chosen career path. The majority of Asian parents want their children to pursue engineering or medicine, or any other science-related field. To them, it is not even possible to pursue a career in the arts. They believe that science is superior to the arts and that brilliant people prefer it. To them, art is just a hobby that anyone can do and has no future or employment prospects.

    At my school, students had the opportunity to choose their major at the end of eighth grade. Teachers make it very clear that all students who are not competitive or weaker in studies than others will be assigned to the arts section, while all intelligent students will be assigned to the science section. Because science subjects are apparently for intelligent people, while those who are not on par with them study arts.  Teachers have the power to make or break a student's self-esteem. These kinds of statements, coming from a teacher, can damage a student's self-aplomb. So, teachers would incentivize kids to study more by threatening them with being assigned arts subjects if they did not.

    You get a letter at the conclusion of eighth grade in which you choose and indicate which subjects you want to study, science or arts, and then have it signed by your parents to ensure they support your decision. But what made me disappointed and irritated is that only the so-called brilliant kids get to choose the career they wish to pursue, whereas those deemed weak in studies by professors or grades have no choice but to study art courses. At first, I was unsure if I truly wanted to study science because I was also good at arts; my father was okay with the decision I make, but my mother insisted that I study science subjects.

    There was no compelling reason for this, other than the fact that all of my older cousins studied science subjects, and it sounds good to tell the family that your child is in the Science section. So I gave in and chose to study science courses. Many of my classmates wanted to pursue science but were unable to do so due to their grades and marks. Throughout my 9th and 10th grades, I noticed how art students were looked down upon, while science students were given preference in all functions and competitions. It was upsetting to me, and I couldn't fathom what the art students went through.

    Years later, when my younger sister had to choose her subjects, everyone advised her to take Science because all of her older siblings studied science, including my two brothers and me. Since my sister excelled in science, she could choose between science and arts. Despite everyone's insistence, she followed her heart and chose arts. I'm delighted she took the initiative. She was chosen for the student council because she performed well, and she was subsequently elected as the school's Head Girl, the highest rank in the council, with the entire student council reporting to her. It definitely does make my heart leap with pride. Nobody in my family or relatives has ever been a Head girl or Head boy before.

    My sister proved that the only thing that matters in achieving great things is your resolve and drive, not the subjects you study. Our society has conditioned us to believe that you can only succeed in life if you study science, or that you are only intelligent if you study science. It is past time for us to alter our minds about arts subjects and stop patronizing them. Instead of imposing these types of irrational decisions, parents and teachers should support their children's decisions. Parents and teachers should be aware that such comments can have an adverse influence on a person's self-esteem and can mentally scar them for the rest of their life. There are a plethora of fields that one can pursue in arts. Science and the arts coexist. Neither of them is superior to the other. I'm glad that millennials and generation Z value art and recognize its significance. They don't prioritize one field over the other and value both equally. This is the kind of tolerance and respect we should have for both fields.