City calms Olympic math frenzy

Shanghai's education authority has called off another mathematics Olympiad for primary schools to alleviate the burden on students and comply with regulations on compulsory education.

That follows a move in February in which three of the city's four major Olympic math competitions were terminated or renamed.

Excellence in Olympic math has long been regarded as a steppingstone to enrollment in quality junior high schools. Students who won the math Olympiads were entitled to direct admission to a quality school. Those who score high in Olympic math, which is included in many junior high schools' entrance exams, also had an edge.