Originally Posted by HowlerKarma
It's not that there is anything wrong with Russian math afterschooling (or anything else); and particularly not for children with innate high ability.

It's that parents feel that they need to TELL others that they're doing it... and to imply that all of the "good" parents care enough to do this kind of thing to-- er, for their children... (right... that's what I meant-- FOR them).
On the day the Russian School of Math had its open house, it felt like we saw half of the parents in town that we knew. They weren't there because we had recommended RSM (we enrolled after that) but because like people think alike.

The Internet levels the information playing field. My parents strongly supported my education, but I don't think they knew the names of the major math and science competitions, math camps, etc. Now more such opportunities exist, and information about them is a Google away. Once you know about them you may feel guilty for not pursuing them.