That sounds like hell. I was forced into music and soccer for ~6 years as a child, and my complete lack of talent is the only thing that stopped my parents from keeping me at it, they thought like you and didn't care that it was miserable and boring. We are not all the same, and we don't all need to be the same.

> they thought like you and didn't care that it was miserable and boring

If kids were allowed to not do things they identify as find miserable and boring, practically everything in the world would be off the table and the next generatation would be totally and utterly fucked.

I read that as a lack of options. The advocacy here is for some kind of enrichment. Could be a mathematics club or a meditation group, it doesn't matter. Just something.

The theory is that it builds better character.

Yes. Arguably the more important societal benefit to learn in school is the soft skills of sociability, teamwork, and things in that class.

We certainly need the doctors and engineers of tomorrow, but they won't be very useful without healthy functioning societies in which can exercise these skills.

We also need a bunch of artisanal non-knowledge workers and laborers and should stop pretending those are inferior careers. A hard working, say, trashman is just as dignified as any other profession and if that's in someone's future, then we should make sure they can take and do the job with pride.

If 100% should--an I sort of agree--then it should be built into the school day a bit better.

You just invented private schools, or at least everyone I have experienced ... every child (up to about 14/15 - after which you could scale back) mandatory to do sport, music, 1 extra activity/club.

Organised by the school and generally carried out 3-5pm & Saturday morning.