Should Americans Put More Pressure on Their Kids?

With schools on the Peninsula getting back in session, Palos Verdes Patch would like to know what you think about a recent Pew Research Center survey in which a majority of Americans say they want more pressure put on kids to succeed academically.

The Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project survey found a majority of Americans—64 percent—believe parents don't put enough pressure on their kids to do well in school. Only 11 percent said parents put too much pressure on students and 21 percent said parents are putting the right amount of pressure on children.

In contrast, about two-thirds, or 68 percent, of the Chinese public feel the opposite, saying parents in their country put too much pressure on children to succeed in school (see survey results in this article's photo gallery).

"[The survey] finds that Americans are considerably more likely than any other publics polled to say that parents do not put enough pressure on their children, while China is the only country in which a majority sees parents putting too much pressure on students," according to the survey's report.

Since 2006, the percentage of Americans who say parents don't put enough pressure on children has increased by eight percentage points. Democrats are also more likely to say parents should put more pressure on students, according to the survey.

What do you think of these findings?