Parents also push their children into extracurricular activities in an effort to nurture flickers of talent in such areas as music, dance, painting and computer skills. Not only could they add and subtract up to 20, but many could recite Tang and Song dynasty poetry. Of course, it is not so easy being the focus of parents' attentions and ambitions. Peek inside the backpack of Zhou Tao, a middle school student at Beijing's Shijingshan school, and you'll find four grammar texts, three math texts, one chemistry book, two books on physics, five on English, three on political science, not to mention an array of extracurricular and tutorial books. The girl spends Sunday mornings attending English classes and afternoons studying art.
Every day is spent going to classes and doing homework.
I can't even relax on Sunday. The pressure intensifies as students prepare for entrance exams for the more prestigious institutions. Many parents try to improve their chances by enrolling their children in the growing number of private academies that cater to the elite. The route to success is not an easy one. In contrast, the girl's parents were ecstatic.