Kuala Lampur, Nov. 9 -- In many Asian households, parents do not need to raise their voices to express disappointment. A single look is enough. The raised eyebrow, narrowed eyes and long, silent stare can deliver an entire lecture. Asian parents deserve an award for communicating through eye language alone!

Now, imagine placing a report card in those very hands. One glance at the grades, followed by another at the child, and the interrogation begins. "What happened here?" "Why is this subject so low?" "What does your friend's result look like?" Apparently, a report card is never just a report card. It is a family event, complete with a review session nobody volunteered to attend.

For children growing up in the 1990s, getting a parent's ...