Tearful China boy distressed about after-school classes reports unlicensed tutor to police, becomes online sensation
- Stressed teen cannot cope with pressure, seeks help from police
- China bans private classes for kindergarten, primary, secondary students
An anguished secondary school student in China who told the police about unlicensed after-school tutoring classes he was forced to attend has sparked a heated debate about the academic pressure the country’s children face.
The mainland authorities banned private tutoring for kindergarten, primary and secondary students on October 15 last year.
The decision followed the controversial “double reduction” policy issued two years ago, which placed strict limitations on homework and the scope of after-school tutoring.
However, parents who fear their children will be left behind in a highly competitive academic environment, now pay “underground” tutors who generally charge higher fees.
Last month, a teenage boy went to a police station in Xiangyang, Hubei province, central China to report an after-school class he was forced to attend by his parents, according to a report by Jiupai News.
He told the officers how he spends his weekends doing homework in the mornings and having tutoring sessions in the afternoons.
“I am under a lot of stress. I don’t want to attend those classes any more,” the distressed boy told police.
Surveillance footage that later went viral, shows the boy dressed in his school uniform and weeping as he complains bitterly about his workload, while an officer passes him a tissue to wipe away his tears.
He said he is ranked number eight in his class and number 25 in his grade at school and his parents want him to achieve better scores.
The police officers are seen trying to comfort and reassure the youngster and spending time helping him with his maths homework.
“You have already performed excellently at your studies and your parents just wish you would work a bit harder,” an officer told him.
When an officer asks the boy if he talks with his parents about his workload and what happens at school, he shakes his head.
The boy’s story has become an online sensation, with many people feeling sympathy for him.
“How tired this boy is. What a poor and helpless kid,” one online observer wrote.
“Why do parents force their kids so much? It is harsh,” said another.
Another commentator took a more pragmatic view.
“When enterprises hire new employees, they require candidates to have degrees from top universities. So if you don’t study hard, you won’t have a bright future. Yes, the academic pressure is great, but you must bear it,” the person said.
In October, a student in northwestern Shaanxi province called the local education authority more than 10 times in an hour to report that his school held extracurricular classes during the week-long National Day holiday.
The school was then ordered by the authorities to stop the additional tutoring activities.
