5th grader's emotional speech about pressure in schools, while Minister Dimian is on the phone: “Teachers don't pay attention to us”
A 5th grade student impressed the participants in a debate organized by the Education Committee of the Romanian Senate, after she spoke about the pressure that children feel at school and at home. The event, dedicated to the mental health of students and young people, took place on Tuesday, May 26, in the Parliament.
A 5th grader impressed the participants in a debate. PHOTO: video capture
Ilinca, a student in the 5th grade, began her speech by directly addressing the Minister of Education and Research, Mihai Dimian.
“You ban our phones, but don't teach us how to use them properly.” said the child in front of the participants.
During his speech, the Minister of Education seems to pay more attention to the mobile phone. The moderator of the event later drew his attention to the student's speech, which he described as straight “very strong”, then inviting Ilinca to take a seat at the presidium, next to the minister.
In her speech, the student talked about the anxiety and emotional fatigue that many children experience in school.
“Why do you think most kids feel pressured at school and hate the place? It's very simple: because their peers are constantly judging them. The teachers don't pay them any attention.” said Ilinca.
The child said that the students are constantly faced with tests, homework and criticism, without getting enough emotional support or real explanations about the things they are forbidden to do.
“I know that they can't wake up in the morning without thinking that they're going to get to school where someone is going to judge them. I always know that someone behind them is telling them that what they're doing is not ok. I'm a child who practices counseling and I can tell you from experience that a lot of people judge us. I'm judged excessively and I think it's not okay.” she stated.
Video source: Senate of Romania/edupedu.ro
Ilinca also spoke about the pressure felt in the family, saying that many parents push their children to perform without knowing how to help them emotionally.
“We still get home and our parents tell us that we didn't do something right, they put pressure on us, they tell us that we have to achieve something and they still don't know how to explain it to us, they don't know how to help us when we need it”, stated the student.
The moment became even more emotional when the student talked about the large amount of homework and reading she receives at school.
“I have a Romanian teacher who this year gave me 27 books to read, of which I didn't understand any of them. The homework is getting more and more and I didn't think it would be like this. I want projects, I want things to learn from. I don't want someone to constantly sit behind me, give me homework, tests and all kinds of voices that can be heard from behind telling me that I'm not somebody and that I don't deserve this attention and that I'm zero”. said Ilinca, before bursting into tears, to the applause of the hall.
After the speech, Minister Mihai Dimian did not have a public intervention regarding the issues raised by the student.
The debate organized in the Parliament brought together students, teachers, representatives of youth organizations and education officials, the main theme being the mental health of children and the pressure felt by them in the educational system.
