Many People think that students should give their leisure time to their academics, whereas others advocate that children should also give that time for playing and relaxation. I personally agree with the latter view, because spending time for playing and relaxing can improve their mental health, and thus remove stress and anxiety.
On the one hand, some Individuals believe that the free time of students should be spent on Educational activities. These are mostly those parents who carry the misconception that if their children allot their time for playing they would not be able to become successful in the future. These parents think that good grades solely are the definition of knowledge, and fear that without them their children cannot find opportunities in this competitive world. Hence, they restrict children from playing as well as relaxing, and always want them to read school books. For instance, many guardians in Nepal are now prohibiting their sons and daughters from playing indoor as well as outdoor games, so that they could score high grades and acquire good jobs in future.
On the other hand, others posit the view that children rather than spending all of their leisure time on education should also focus on spending a fair portion of that time for playing sports and relaxing. This is because these activities can help children to take a break from their hectic studies and minimize their academic pressure. Taking time to relax every now and then can enlighten a student’s mood which in turn, can help them focus better and have mental clarity. Parents as mentioned above are always putting the pressure of achieving high grades on their children which actually worsens their mental health and may lead to depression, but by playing sports and relaxing with friends they can have fun and reduce their anxiety. In London, for example, universities give good amount of free time for their students to relax during studies, in order to alleviate their stress.
In conclusion, some parents due to the lack of understanding of what real education is always force their children to put time for their studies only. However, relaxing and playing sports during leisure time is a far better option as it reduces the pressure of studies and boosts mental health.