Ghana's Preschool Obsession

Plus: Paid Paternity Leave; Climate Refugees; Hunger In North Korea editor's note I love this photo of a dad and his son, Herman and Herbert, at their nightly homework session in Accra, Ghana. You can tell that the dad wants his son to do well. I remember when my kids were little how I wanted them do great in school. And sometimes maybe I pushed too hard. Or didn’t push hard enough. For Herman, the matter of his 5-year-old’s homework is critical. He sees a bright future opening up in Ghana and believes education is the key to getting ahead. He started his son in preschool when he was age 1. That kind of commitment to preschool is common in Accra, where it's estimated that 80 percent of the 3-year-olds are enrolled. [Read Herman's story here]( But could a parent's expectations of preschool be counter-productive? That’s the topic of correspondent Nurith Aizenman’s fascinating story (and [podcast]( on “Rough Translation”): [“What We Can Learn From Ghana’s Obsession With Preschool.”]( The story is part of our month-long series: [How To Raise A Human.]( Once you've read it, [we’d like to hear from you.]( asking people to share their stories about feeling pressured by parents – or putting pressure on their own kids. I must also confess I put a little pressure on my own kids last week. I wrote in my newsletter note that the best Father’s Day gift isn’t a tie or pair of socks – it’s a helpful kid. My daughter told me, “Dad! You know what I got you for Father’s Day – socks!” So I stand corrected. Socks are great! Marc Silver Editor, Goats and Soda worms! [A Worm That Can Really, Really Get Under Your Skin]( And once it's there, it moves around. And around. There's a new report on the worm out this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. refugees [The Refugees The World Barely Pays Attention To]( They're known as 'climate refugees.' But there's not even an international definition for them, let alone recognition or protection. chart [Which Countries Guarantee That New Dads Get Paid Paternity Leave?]( There are 92 countries where there is no national policy allowing dads to take time off to care for their newborns. north korea [The Food Insecurity Of North Korea]( Agricultural scientists and aid representatives believe the country is still unable to feed all its population. Why is that the case? quote of the week ["Are you bewitched?"]( -What neighbors asked Jean Marie Rukundo, a dad in Rwanda, when they saw him washing dishes and looking after his toddler. From our story: [Men Teaching Men To Be Better Husbands And Dads]( [Twitter]( [Tumblr]( NPR | 1111 N. Capitol St. NE | Washington, DC 20002 | [Privacy Policy]( This message was sent to {EMAIL} based on your NPR email subscriptions. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you may [unsubscribe]( at any time. [NPR](