New semester brings fresh burdens
As the Spring semester starts, many elementary schools in China are planning to alleviate academic burdens on their students. Shanghai called for canceling extracurricular competitions like the “Mathematical Olympiad.” Wuxi, a city in East China’s Jiangsu Province, banned extra tutoring after school. As for students in Changsha, South China’s Hunan Province, they will be given more spare time after class to participate in activities they are interested in. However, these measures, which are meant to reduce burdens on students, actually put extra loads on them. Parents have to send children, who come back early from school, to after-school classes since they have no time looking after the children themselves. Some parents are concerned about less homework and still want their children to take extra classes. As experts suggest, the most effective way to solve the problem is to deepen the educational reform and free students from entrance examinations, not just implement some short-term measures.