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Burden of childhood weighs kids down
By Miao Xiaojuan |
June 3, 2009, Wednesday
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FOR most Chinese children, International Children's Day, which fell on Tuesday, often means a day off and gifts from parents - but a pile of homework and extracurricular classes as well.
Chinese children are experiencing heavier pressure as well as much pleasure, which make their childhoods less carefree than those of previous generations.
Wang Wenyi is a 70-year-old retired electric welder in Beijing. He was 10 years old when the People's Republic of China was established in 1949 and Children's Day was designated in the same year.
"At that time, trams and parks in Beijing were free to kids on Children's Day, and we had a day off from school. I always took a tram to Xidan and Tian'anmen Square, just looking around," said Wang.
"Kids did not have much fun in old days. It was exciting for us to take a tram," Wang added.
Now he's happy to see his 11-year-old grandson having a better-off and more interesting childhood. "He doesn't care about new clothes, delicious food or toys, because he has all he wants."
Chen Yanyan, an 24-year-old employee in an overseas-funded entertainment corporation, said used to dream of having a bicycle since he was in junior high school. But he did not get one until he was enrolled in college. Children now can get one at the age of 5.
Sun Ling, a public servant in Shanghai, said he would buy a bicycle for his five-year-old daughter as a Children's Day gift. "She is so lucky and carefree."
Sun, 30, said that when he was a child his only toys were discarded wine bottle caps, small coins and home-carved wooden pistols.
"My uncle once brought me an electric toy gun, and I played with it for years. But when it was broken, I never got new ones from my parents," Sun said. Now his daughter's toys are thrown everywhere in the house and she has more clothes than anyone else in the family.
For kids in the countryside, many of whose parents are migrant workers in cities, their childhood is also more pleasant than those of their parents.
Wang Wenyi said he spends less time with his grandson since the boy entered primary school. "He was much busier than a child should ever be."
"In the old days, we had only two subjects in primary school, Chinese and math, not even English. But my grandson has so many courses, extra-curricular interest classes, and some other group activities," Wang said.
Li Ou'meng, a student at the Beijing's Second Experimental Primary school, complained he might not have even have enough time for a sound sleep on Children's Day. "We have performances, and we've got homework, so much homework. What kind of a holiday is it when it makes us so stressed?" Li said.
Experts said study has become the biggest burden for Chinese children and that it is improper to impose parents' expectations and values of society on children at an early age.
"It will deprive them of their childhood to make early arrangements for future education - and it goes against their cognition and development," said Zhou Xiaolin, a psychology professor from Peking University.
Zhu Liqi, a professor of the Institute of Psychology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, described the competition as "a war without gun smoke."
"They learn more, they know more, they are smarter, but not necessarily happier," Zhu said.
(The author is a Xinhua writer.)
Chinese children are experiencing heavier pressure as well as much pleasure, which make their childhoods less carefree than those of previous generations.
Wang Wenyi is a 70-year-old retired electric welder in Beijing. He was 10 years old when the People's Republic of China was established in 1949 and Children's Day was designated in the same year.
"At that time, trams and parks in Beijing were free to kids on Children's Day, and we had a day off from school. I always took a tram to Xidan and Tian'anmen Square, just looking around," said Wang.
"Kids did not have much fun in old days. It was exciting for us to take a tram," Wang added.
Now he's happy to see his 11-year-old grandson having a better-off and more interesting childhood. "He doesn't care about new clothes, delicious food or toys, because he has all he wants."
Chen Yanyan, an 24-year-old employee in an overseas-funded entertainment corporation, said used to dream of having a bicycle since he was in junior high school. But he did not get one until he was enrolled in college. Children now can get one at the age of 5.
Sun Ling, a public servant in Shanghai, said he would buy a bicycle for his five-year-old daughter as a Children's Day gift. "She is so lucky and carefree."
Sun, 30, said that when he was a child his only toys were discarded wine bottle caps, small coins and home-carved wooden pistols.
"My uncle once brought me an electric toy gun, and I played with it for years. But when it was broken, I never got new ones from my parents," Sun said. Now his daughter's toys are thrown everywhere in the house and she has more clothes than anyone else in the family.
For kids in the countryside, many of whose parents are migrant workers in cities, their childhood is also more pleasant than those of their parents.
Wang Wenyi said he spends less time with his grandson since the boy entered primary school. "He was much busier than a child should ever be."
"In the old days, we had only two subjects in primary school, Chinese and math, not even English. But my grandson has so many courses, extra-curricular interest classes, and some other group activities," Wang said.
Li Ou'meng, a student at the Beijing's Second Experimental Primary school, complained he might not have even have enough time for a sound sleep on Children's Day. "We have performances, and we've got homework, so much homework. What kind of a holiday is it when it makes us so stressed?" Li said.
Experts said study has become the biggest burden for Chinese children and that it is improper to impose parents' expectations and values of society on children at an early age.
"It will deprive them of their childhood to make early arrangements for future education - and it goes against their cognition and development," said Zhou Xiaolin, a psychology professor from Peking University.
Zhu Liqi, a professor of the Institute of Psychology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, described the competition as "a war without gun smoke."
"They learn more, they know more, they are smarter, but not necessarily happier," Zhu said.
(The author is a Xinhua writer.)
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