In recent years, something subtle yet significant has been happening in many schools. As school systems increasingly operate like businesses, with parents positioned as clients and consumers, a quiet shift has taken place. Decisions that once centred on children’s developmental needs now often respond to what will impress, what will look good, or what will circulate well on social media.
Take annual fests. Their purpose has always been meaningful: to give children opportunities to collaborate, express themselves, and explore interests. Yet in many places, these events have evolved into something very different. Highly choreographed. Professionally staged. Bright, moving lights. Loud soundtracks. Elaborate sets. A spectacle crafted with adults in mind.
It is important to clarify: I am not talking about the healthy kinds of stimulation children need — movement, nature, social connection. I am referring to sensory overload created by intense sound, light and staging — the kind that can overwhelm a child’s developing nervous system.
The Real Question
A line I recently heard stayed with me: “Schools deliver what most parents demand.” Demand influences design. Expectations influence experience. If we want school practices to evolve, what we expect from schools must evolve too.
Perhaps what we need is not more stimulation or less stimulation, but the right kind of stimulation. Experiences that children can process with meaning. Experiences aligned with their natural rhythms and developmental reality.