Comfort alone cannot raise strong children. In recent years, many Korean elementary schools have attempted to create “stress-free” classrooms by reducing competition, minimizing discipline and avoiding situations that may emotionally discomfort students. While these efforts are understandable in a society concerned about children’s mental health, they risk misunderstanding the true purpose of education. The goal of elementary education should not be to remove all stress from children’s lives but to help them develop resilience, the ability to endure difficulty, recover from failure and grow through challenges. Without resilience, children may become emotionally fragile in the face of inevitable hardships later in their life. Children grow stronger by facing small struggles. Childhood is the period when individuals first learn how to manage frustration, conflict, responsibility and delayed gratification. If schools excessively protect students from discomfort, children lose opportunities to develop perseverance or self-control. A classroom where teachers hesitate to correct bad
