I`ve worked in a number of evening schools in Osaka and I`ve seen a lot of children who go to English schools and work at an intensity that is unnecesary for them.

I had one eleven year old girl at my old school doing English listening tests designed for Senior High school students. Another`s mother at the school I teach at now asked for the next set of homework cards they have to study from as early preparation even though they are in the middle of the previous set now.

In both these cases it is the mother who asked the school`s managers to do these things. In both these cases, the children were introverted and although they seemed to enjoy the lessons, they weren`t happy about being made to do practice exams designed for students seven or eight years their senior.

The managers have no choice of course. Like the pub owner who opens the door to the drunk and serves him beer until his wallet is empty, these schools rely on these kinds of mothers to support their business. If the schools don`t acquiesce to their needs, they`ll go elsewhere. And there are plenty of places willing to take them.

This isn`t only applicable to English schools. I asked them what other lessons they take and they all had three or four others – swimming club, cram school, athletics, calligraphy classes, flower aranging, maths and piano lessons among the mix.

As a parent to be, I can understand that the parents want their children to be the best they can possibly be, yet a child needs space to grow and play before they are robbed of this freedom and crushed by an onslaught of exams, work and deadlines in their adult life. Why crush them when they are still young and carefree?