A CHILD prodigy whose parents hoped he would be the world’s first under-ten graduate has been withdrawn from university in the Netherlands.
Laurent Simon, nine, was supposed to complete a three-year electrical engineering degree in ten months to meet his birthday deadline, but Eindhoven University of Technology said rushing the course would harm his academic development.
Laurent’s father Alexander said the university had criticised him for courting media coverage of his son.
He said: ‘If a child can play football well, we all think the media attention is great. My son has a different talent. Why should he not be proud of that?’
Are parents justified in seeking opportunities and publicity for their talented children, whether in sport or academia? Discuss!
