The eldest son of Mediacorp actor Brandon Wong took the PSLE this year, but the 50-year-old is apparently not too worried about which secondary school he will go to.
In fact, Brandon says he's more concerned about the stress his sons would face when surrounded by other students who do exceptionally well in their studies. Luckily his 12-year-old son, Yu Jie, has always done well in his exams–since primary one.
Before the PSLE results were released, Brandon Wong spoke with 8days to talk more about his son who had just taken the examinations. Here's what he had to say.
Brandon Wong Doesn't Think There's A Need To Compare Kids Who Do Exceptionally Well In Exams
When asked if things were stressful at home while his son was studying for the PSLE, Brandon Wong made it clear that he's not a kiasu parent. The actor thinks there should be a "balance between studies and leisure time."
"Every child excels in different areas and I don’t think there’s a need to compare with kids who do exceptionally well in their exams. Neither is there a need to get your kids to learn all sorts of things — I believe in letting them pursue their own interests," says Brandon as per 8days.
Before his son took the PSLE, Brandon kept telling him that he was luckier than other primary six kids. This is because some children get banned from using their phones the entire year. Meanwhile, Yu Jie was playing with his phone even on the day of his examination.
With the PSLE over, Brandon joked about the way his son continues to waste time playing games on his phone. But the celeb dad says it's fine for him to relax before school starts again.
"He would be in an entirely new environment so things might be more stressful," says Wong.
Brandon Wong Admits He Doesn't Think His Son Is "That Great" In His Studies
Despite sharing how his eldest son was among the top three students in his class for all six years of primary school, Brandon "wouldn't dare say that he's amazing at his studies."
"There’s a Chinese saying that there’s always someone who’s better than you if you compare yourself with others. Perhaps it’s because my standards are very high. I’ve seen students who are really smart, and I don’t think he can compare with them. I think it’s enough that he has never disappointed us," the actor says.
Brandon Wong has never mentioned his son's academic achievements on social media and for a good reason. He says he considered his son's feeling if he posted about him getting a top spot and then stopped getting it when he was in higher primary.
He asked himself, "Would it be a disheartening experience for him? Would it be too much pressure on him?"
Considering how he didn't want Yu Jie to deal with that, Brandon decided not to share this with the public. But since his primary school days are over, the celeb dad can proudly share his son's achievements now.
Getting Into A "Branded" School Is Not Really Something Brandon Cared About
Now that his eldest son is moving on to secondary school, Brandon Wong says he's not very "in-tune" with which schools are considered "branded." In fact, he would be worried as the competition in these schools are very intense.
"For my kids’ primary school, the reason I chose it is because it’s near my home and it puts a strong emphasis on Chinese, and those were my only two requirements. I’m not the kind of parent who will go all the way to Bukit Timah to hunt for schools that will take my boys in," he says.
While his son wants to go to Dunman High School, Brandon prefers he go to Nan Chiau High School. This is not only because it's closer to home but also how worried he is that Yu Jie would be surrounded by "elite" students.
But at the end of the day, the Mediacorp star says it's what his son wants which is of the utmost importance.
"Children these days are under a lot of stress when it comes to their studies and while I hope for the best for my kids, I don’t want them to put too much pressure on them," Brandon makes sure to add.
Lead image source from Instagram / brandon_wong_jy.
Source: 8days
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