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Zhang Xiaolu used to be happy when she finished classes every day but now, at the age of 8, life has become stressful. Xiaolu, who studies at Shaoyaoju Primary School in Beijing's Chaoyang District, has been taking piano lessons on Saturday and Sunday afternoons for three months. And to make sure she has enough time for the lessons, Xiaolu has to study until 11 pm to finish her homework. About one-third of her classmates are also taking piano classes. "She would have lagged behind her classmates if she did not start at an early age," said Huang Shaoqin, Xiaolu's mother, "so I wanted her to learn, too." "I used to go to the park with my mum and dad or visit my grandma in the suburbs on weekends," Xiaolu recalled. "I don't have time to do that any more." More than 20 per cent of primary school students and 35 per cent of high school students said they felt pressured by their parents' expectations, according to a nationwide survey conducted last year by the China Youth & Children Research Centre, the largest child research institution in the country. "A mountain of homework and heavy school bags, coupled with parents' great expectations, is driving more young children away from a joyful childhood and is making more of them suffer from anxiety or depression," said Sun Yunxiao, a researcher and deputy director of the research centre. Children now spend more time doing homework than playing, and they're not getting nearly enough sleep, the survey showed. Of the parents surveyed, 91.7 per cent said they expect their child to get a university degree or some form of higher education award, while 54.9 per cent said they want their child to get a PhD. Driven by the great expectations, students compete fiercely to try to qualify for China's top schools. Of the students surveyed, 13.7 per cent in primary school and 40.8 per cent in senior middle school said they thought their parents were unhappy with their marks. "Don't let your child be lost at the starting point" is a well-known phrase among parents. This means parents believe that being successful in school can guarantee their children have a golden future, Sun explained. "Parents' ambitions for their children have been held partially responsible for the anxiety and stress they are feeling," Sun said. Panic transfer He cited the story of a young girl at a kindergarten in Tianjin in North China, where children are asked to learn maths that is usually taught in the second year of primary school. The girl, named Ji Meiqi, was murmuring maths in her sleep the night before she took an enrolment exam for a top local primary school. The pressure was so intense that eventually all her hair fell out. Improper education methods used by Chinese parents when coping with issues relevant to schools can also hurt children. For example, 8.4 per cent of parents said they simply warn their children that they will have no job and no future if they get low scores. "Such parents pass on their panic and worries to their children, creating additional pressure on the child's psychological development," Sun said. In addition, schools, in most cases, use scores to evaluate a student. However, this has lessened the diversity in courses, cutting the channels for children to fulfil their potential, the survey said. "Children are asked to do a lot of repetitive homework or study to improve their scores in exams, which reduces their inspiration and interest to study," Sun said. What's more, misleading media reports on talented children and top students have given other children much pressure, the survey said. In terms of methods to prevent anxiety in children and help those who have suffered from it, a sound and mutually respectful relationship between parents and their children always serves as the best remedy, Sun said. "Scolding only frightens your child," he advised. "Praise and encourage him or her to be confident, to be strong and responsible when facing difficulties." In short, parents must always be willing to talk to their child and made to believe everyone deserves to be happy, Sun said.
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one a hot day a girl call little Red Riding Hood she had to go to her