Child's success sends parents' ego rocketing

London, Jan 7 (UNI) Even as Gen Y fights fiercely against the conventional education system and many a kid refuses to accept thoughts control methods of classroom teaching, parents are busy giving an overblown account of their offspring's academic prowess, a new study has stated.

''Too many parents still viewed degrees as the holy grail of qualifications, perhaps because they aren't aware of the other options,'' the Telegraph quoted Garry Hawkes, Chairman of the education foundation Edge, as saying.

Almost 44 per cent of the 5,271 parents questioned by Edge confessed to feeling a lot of pressure to compare notes about their children's achievements. Despite that, only one in 10 admitted stretching the truth from time to time.

As many as 72 per cent, however, believed that others exaggerated. While a university degree was still seen as the most important step after school by 53 per cent of parents, only 30 per cent believed it would prove useful to a successful career.

Every young person had different strengths and weaknesses, Mr Hawkes said, adding, ''By comparing a child's academic achievements with those of their friends, parents risked shutting children off to practical and vocational options they may be more suited to and which they could be more successful at.'' A recent survey had reported that parents were more likely to trust their children to make decisions about sex than education.

Only 41 per cent would allow them to decide when to leave traditional academia, while 46 per cent said it was up to their child to decide whether or not to have sex.

UNI XC SYU RS1744