PARENTS should not encourage their children to develop the kiasu (must-win always) attitude by allowing them to skip school just so they can do their own revision at home.

Nanyang Siang Pau, in its editorial, said that by doing so, parents were actually teaching their children to disrespect discipline and this could lead to unhealthy developments.

The daily in its editorial said a recent revelation that over 20,000 of 111,484 students with disciplinary problems had played truant.

"Parents allowing children to miss school is the most serious social and family education problem.

"It shows that parents are being kiasu and trying to instil the same attitude among their children," it said.

It said the emphasis by certain schools on academic results also had great influence on the development and the growth of the children's minds.

"It is evident that many schools these days measure their achievements and glory based on the number of top students in public examinations.

"This kind of mindset will not help in nurturing good learning attitude among students," it said.

The daily said parents and teachers played a very important role in instilling good attitude.

It said 65% of the students who were involved in disciplinary problems were in secondary schools.

"This is the time when they are going through puberty and can be easily influenced and changed by the environment.

"If schools do not guide them properly, they will be easily frustrated and will tend to give up on their studies," it said.