School Sysem in Spain

Today and yesterday, in Spanish IV, we were watching a video about the school system in Latin America. These kids have to take very challenging tests and end up with very bad scores. They get very nervous and worried before taking them and they also do not learn or understand very much of what they are studying or being tested over. Should we not find this to be problematic? I sure think so. After watching the video, it made me think of my sister's friend in Spain. She is studying to become a lawyer. She is the exact same age as my sister (nineteen years old), but she has been in college for a couple of years now. That's right. She has already been at a university for a while now. This girl studies for literally eighteen hours every single day! She barely eats anything at all and has no free time. She gets absolutely no exercise whatsoever. I am not kidding. When our family took her hiking at Lake MacBride, she told us that it was the first time she had exercised in over a year. What kind of life is this for a teenager? Blanca actually visited our family this summer after my sister spent a year abroad in Spain with her and Blanca told us how she prefers our school system in the United States. I can see why. The Spanish class video also made me think of the host family my sister, Claire, stayed with. Claire's little sisters in Spain wake up in the morning, go to school for long hours, stay there for after school activities, then come home. Once they are home, they do their homework all night long until dinner. Then they shower and go to bed. They also learn English on the side and the mother makes them practice every day and do homework outside of school. In fact, when my sister arrived in Spain, she wanted to practice her Spanish but, instead, the mother ordered her to speak only English with the little sisters. This is what every single day consists of for these girls. They do not get to live a normal, happy childhood where they can play and have fun. No child should miss out on these things. Amina and Mara may be more challenged and know more than a student in America, but I believe children should have enjoyable childhoods and be able to express their creativity.