Creativity, confidence and a DSA edge: Why parents are investing in children’s art classes

But the art enrichment firm warns about the effects of parental pressure on children.

“Sometimes, parents are the ones that want them to enter just so they can enter the schools that they want, like their chosen secondary schools rather, and I think that puts a lot of pressure on the child,” said Tree Art’s regional supervisor Niesa Luib.

“Sometimes the kid loses their interest halfway, and the parents are still adamant,” she said.

For Mr Ong, he has seen that pressure affect kids even harder.

“Some kids burn out along the journey, and they don’t want to touch another brush, and they break down, and that’s because parents keep on pushing them… Kids go through a journey. there’s a lot of emotions at school and all the stuff that they go through.”

The pressure can be harder to manage when a DSA application is unsuccessful.

While Tree Art says it sees a 90 per cent success rate for its students, it wants to make sure that students do not lose sight of the bigger picture.