New Delhi, Jan. 12 -- Every child has a natural right to play, to rest, and to grow at his or her own pace. Unfortunately, this right is quietly snatched away when excessive homework replaces play and coaching classes replace childhood. Sadly, in the name of education, we - in India and South Asia - are slowly teaching children exhaustion before curiosity, and pressure before joy.

During harsh winters, a disturbing trend has been quietly normalized. Small children, some barely four, five or six years old, are pushed out of warm beds before sunrise in places like Kashmir and northern India and sent to coaching centres in biting cold. This is followed by heavy homework shared casually on WhatsApp groups by their respective schools. What is...