“God believes in creating infinite variety because he believes variety is the spice of life.”

Pluck any two leaves from the tree. Aren’t they different? Then how can two children be the same? Teachers, parents and grown-ups need to understand that each child is born with a unique set of talents, personality traits, abilities and interests to make this world a beautiful and colorful mosaic. Imagine how dull and dreadful life would be if everyone was either an engineer or a doctor?

If a child was born with an aptitude to fly planes, why force them to become an accountant? This way, the world loses a first-class pilot, gets a third-class accountant and the society is saddled with one more miserable person because he is trapped in a wrong profession. Everyone is a loser in this game. It is time to do something about this business of putting square pegs in round holes. We must stop pushing children into careers they are unsuitable for. The age-old pattern has to undergo fundamental change. We are living in very interesting times as technology marches furiously ahead and a whole new range of specializations is opening up. This is happening so rapidly that it is leading us breathless and confused.

Look at your five fingers, they are never the same, but we require all of them to make a fist. Let us not trap the dreams of the children and compare them with each other. Instead, give them wings to fly.

// This article has been penned by 11-year-old Jasmehar Kaur from Mount  St. Mary school, Delhi Cantonment, New Delhi and has been chosen for publication on our website from the weekly submissions //