Classes in summer keep pressure on students to perform

Chinese parents have ramped up extracurricular classes during summer vacation, giving children an increased workload just as schools are cutting back on homework, a poll has shown.

In a survey by China Youth Daily last week, about 60 percent of parents said they wanted their children to improve any shortcomings through after-school programs, and more than half sent their children to extracurricular classes to keep up with other parents.

Liu Yuehan, an 8-year-old girl in Beijing, attends six extracurricular courses during the summer vacation, and the second-grader will continue with her busy schedule after the new semester begins.