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November 15, 2018

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Could it be that schooldays are really the toughest of our lives?

More than half of Shanghai’s schoolchildren have less than an hour of leisure time to call their own each day, and the majority do not take anywhere near enough exercise, a survey has found.

The survey, conducted by Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences and a local commission, was carried out in primary, middle and high schools across the city, collecting information from more than 7,500 students and a similar number of parents.

Children in the city have a wide range of hobbies and are very accepting of new technology. They have a strongly international outlook, but are greatly overburdened by their studies and disturbingly few were found to be getting enough sleep or exercise.

Time spent on homework increases as they get older but conversely, or perhaps obviously, their interest in studying decreases.

In one telltale statistic, it turns out that more than 70 percent of them have extra work thrust upon them by their vicariously ambitious parents.

Only about 35 percent of primary school pupils get the 10 hours or more sleep that they need each night. Only 27 percent of older kids get enough shuteye.

As for exercise, middle school students do best: 47 percent them have at least an hour of exercise per day. Some children do not take an exercise at all.

Before high school 42 percent of kids have more than an hour of leisure every day, with the figure rising to 45 percent thereafter. And the older they get, the more stressed out they become, with 23 percent of high schoolers saying they feel nervous or anxious “very often.”

On the flip side, kids in Shanghai have clear goals, wide interests and have been overseas. They are strong on innovation and love new technology along with the new lifestyle it brings. They show a great interest in science and have a sense of social responsibility.

“This survey presents us with the two sides of our children,” said Wei Lili with the local academy of social sciences. “Shanghai is a unique metropolis which allows children an international outlook. Families invest a lot in their children’s hobbies and send them overseas. But problems like the burden of study can negate all these efforts.”

Wei said she hoped families would support the local education authority as it worked to reduce the burden.

“Parents should know their child’s interests and what they enjoy before signing them up for classes,” she said.




 

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