Children are facing more pressures nowadays from academic, social and commercial perspectives

"Children are facing more pressures nowadays from academic, social and commercial perspectives.
What are the causes of these pressures and what measures should be taken to reduce these pressures?"

It is commonly said that today's children are pressurized as were yesterday's adults. That's true in the sense that children are facing harder and harder academic, social and commercial challenges. It is happening simply because of the ever increasing demands of life, from the same perspectives, on humans in general. While it is important that children excel in their age to become successful as adults, they must be shielded from the mounting pressure by maintaining a balance between material and psychological growth.
As the global village becomes more and more competitive everyday, it becomes important for us to prepare for the fight, so to speak, earlier and earlier. This is realized by all, which triggers societies to push their juveniles during their learning stage.
The other thing that is contributing to this ever rising pressure on children is the lack institutional opportunities, especially in developing countries. Now, more than ever, children are having to race each other for reaching the privilege of higher education.
While healthy competition is helpful for the psycho-social development of young ones, it is rather unhealthy when the race becomes more prominent that the objective. Of course the objective of children competing against each other ideally is bringing the best out of themselves. But, very frequently, a child is compelled to compete for becoming better than the other. In other words, the competition becomes a brawl rather than being a sprint.
To stop such spiteful struggle among our young, we must first establish a sense of camaraderie within all our developmental institutions, such as schools and colleges. Students must contest for academic betterment, not social supremacy. Also, parents should get proactively involved in promoting sportsmanship among learners. They must not allow vile aggressiveness and their own vengeful in the lives of their children. To sustain such social reformation the government must establish ample alternatives to the traditional route to success.
The conclusion here is simple. The children today are being put into s 'survival-of-the-fittest' situation much earlier than they must be when they should really be trying to do their best. Such untimely loss of innocence is only going to make civilization more antagonistic. Therefor we must ensure that personal development may be ushered in harmony and not in vile rivalry.

Many people think secondary level students should study international news as a subject. A few believe that it is a waste of time

"Many people think secondary level students should study international news as a subject. A few believe that it is a waste of time.
Give your opinion on both views and suggest your preference."

Our children in schools today are learning to become the citizens of tomorrow. They, especially in the secondary level, are learning all the necessary basics that will equip them for special studies in universities and special duties as young citizens. From that perspective, it seems necessary that they are aware of what's happening around the world. To guarantee such institutionalization as a waste of time. I believe, while international news needs not to be put in the secondary school curricula, students must be generally aware of worldwide happenings through extracurricular activities.
The importance of being at per with the recent happenings around the globe is undeniable. Without such contemporary knowledge no one can thrive in today's global village. Therefore, it is plausible to perceive international news as essential, which renders some to want to make guarantee the learning of what goes around, at home and abroad, among secondary schools students.
There are contrary opinions too. Although, few deny the needful of knowing global facts, many argue that making institutional provisions for something that may otherwise be achieved is a waste of time and resources. It is true that immersed in today's media, a student may easily stay up to date with international news without studying it as separate subject in school.
In my opinion, both views have elements that are undeniable and best be fused for an ideal solution. This solution is developing world wide awareness programs among the young about the importance of news. I therefore conclude that there should be institutional efforts to raise awareness of international news among secondary school students, but establishing it as a separate subject may just be excessive force.

A lot of people think that personal happiness is mostly related to economic success

"A lot of people think that personal happiness is mostly related to economic success. Others believe that there are some other factors behind personal happiness.
Discuss both the views and give your opinion."

Having secured the ease of survival, most of us in the civilized world are driven by the pursuit for happiness, to work and to live with a sense of progress toward the ethereal status of being happy. Clearly happiness has not yet been reached by people at a mass scale, hence the ceaseless toiling of the modern man, who often pictures money as an over simplified but convenient manifestation of happiness. But i agree with those who believe that there's more than economic success in the recipe for happiness.

But of course money is power, power to do the things we want to do and avail the things we need to have. Quite naturally, thence, happiness is seldom pictured in the realm of destination. The capitalist earth requires us to have the monetary means to qualify ourselves as being potentially happy. We therefore must be economically successful first, at a relatively practical level, to make our dreams of happiness viable. As cruel as it may sound, it is practical in our present sense of practicality. But there's more to it.

The paradox of happiness is that it is not material. So happiness cannot be bought, at least not in its entirely. The proof is visible in the tragedies of the rich and the famous. This leads many, like me, to believe that money begets only an edge, as opposes to how we would be being penniless, and does not make us happy. Our absurd humanness requires us to be in a delicate balance of material and emotional well-being in order to feel happy.

Therefor to reach a conclusion, if i must, to this globally inconclusive argument, I am compelled to indulge in the human romanticism and image happiness, if it were, as infinitely more than just money and power. After all, if economic success alone mothered happiness then how would the destitute mother be happy at the sight and touch of her child?