Chinese middle school students are often compelled to sacrifice spare time for homework in the face of fierce competition in college entrance exams, regarded by parents the best opportunity for a successful future.

According to the Ministry of Education, universities and colleges nationwide enrolled 5.3 million students last year from more than 9.5 million who sat the collage entrance exams -- a failure rate of almost half.

To ensure their children's success, pushy Chinese parents and teachers put heavy pressure on children to spend more time studying.

A survey by the China Youth and Children Research Center showed 88 percent of the primary school parents and 50 percent middle school parents assigned extra homework to their children.

A survey by the Ministry of Education in 2004 showed that 30 percent of primary school children and 60 percent of middle school pupils suffered myopia, or short-sightedness, commonly attributed to too much study.

"The purpose of the rule is to ease the burden on students, but the problem lies in the exam-oriented education in which high marks, to a great degree, mean excellence and more chance to enter college," said Ci.

"Of course I want my child to relax from study," said parent Chen. "But I have to be responsible for her future as the pressure for entrance into higher schools or colleges is always there."

He planned to find a tutor to help with his daughter's classes during her summer holidays this year.

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