What happened to our dreams?

This thought occurred to me when I was seeing the Aviva Life Insurance Children Plan advertisement in which children talk about becoming pilot, sportsman, model, etc. after growing up.

A lot of children have plans to do something adventurous or creative in life like becoming a pilot, sportsman, model, actor, painter. However, I wonder how many children actually end up becoming something they wish for. May be a few have but I don't think that a majority of children end up becoming an engineer or a doctor or a lawyer which is so very conventional. Why does this occur?

I feel that our educational system has been created in such a way that a child gets trained to follow the conventional career path. After standard tenth, a child is made to choose between science, commerce or arts. While arts is a field where painting and other creative skills could be honed, it is not the preferred choice. This is because arts is not viewed as a good career option by most of the parents. They force a child to take up either commerce or science. Also the peer pressure plays a major role wherein a child is forced to take up either science or commerce. After 12th standard, again the path forward for most is engineering, medicine or law for science and B.Com (CA alongside) or BBA for a commerce candidate. And after the completion of these courses, he/she starts to look for a job to support his/her family. Some go for higher studies (many don't) and do their post graduation in their respective fields. Then they start earing and get involved in their jobs. Now if he/she has to go for his/her dream it has to be done so only by quitting the job which becomes very difficult considering the fact that he/she has to support family.

I have a friend of mine who has completed his LLB degree and now wants to follow his dream of becoming an actor. So, now he has started his new path to become an actor. It has been a lot of struggle for him to go along a path which is totally different from his qualification. If he had started preparing for it when he was in 11th or 12th, he could have been in a better position. However, better late thane never. Moreover, his family approves of him becoming an actor. So, I feel that he will achieve what he dreamt of. I wish him all the luck to become a renowned actor.

In the case above, the parents were supportive and there were no pressures on him. However, I do not think that most of the parents will not be supportive.

So, what happened to the dreams a child saw? The dreams died somewhere right in the school where the child was compelled to follow the conventional path and then his dreams remained dreams.

I feel that this happens for a majority of the children. Few lucky ones have a chance to follow their dreams and fulfill their aspirations.

So, what can be done? We can in no way change the educational system in a radical manner. So, it is the parents who have to be supportive of their children to help them pursue their dreams. Also, the child should be determined enough to be follow the path which will help him achieve his dream.
As a song from Westlife goes,
'Make that magic rule, let the miracle stay. Dreams come true'