孩子们应该拥有无作业的暑假

This is an English class at Beijing New Orient School, a private education institution for all-subject training courses. A vast number of students will spend most of their summer time here to do intensive study.

Sun Botian will start junior high school this autumn. His mother complains that she has no other choice, but to force her son to take some junior high school courses in advance.

"It seems to be the busiest summer vacation for him since he has to learn some middle school courses. He has to pass an examination that will determine his eligibility for the school's A-level class. If he does not keep studying, we are afraid he will lag behind. After all, the competition is too stiff."

Compared with China, summer vacation for American children usually has nothing to do with extra classes. Instead, some activities are organized to foster children's creativity and enhance their practical skills.

Steven Weathers, an American who works as a presenter for Shanghai TV's International Channel, recalled his summer holidays during the time in school.

"We had things like summer camp. We learned to ride horses and shoot bows and arrows in archery classes. The parents in America want to focus on the well-roundedness of the child. I think there are many creative things like making cookies with their mothers. They can take specific classes like higher-level math, but that is not common for elementary and middle school students. They want to find sports activities and creative artistic activities."

Zhu Gui, an expert in childhood education, warns that it is unnecessary for students to have their summers occupied by learning ahead of time what they will come to know during the new school semester. Instead, they should be encouraged to do anything that caters to their personal interests.

"I think it is wrong to force students to pursue intensive studies during their summer vacations. Our children are under very intense pressure from school courses and exams. They need to completely relax by participating in extracurricular activities where they will learn some practical skills and the importance of team spirit. And they are encouraged to make trips to expand their horizons. Because Chinese students tend to be knowledge recipients rather than knowledge discoverers, they are in urgent need of developing creative and independent thinking abilities rather than becoming bookworms."

Zhu set up a summer camp, after drawing upon inspiration from American boy scout and girl scout camps. She hopes to see children learn something practical from a variety of activities such as swimming, sand carving, stargazing and group sporting events.

"I am taught Chinese, math and English at school every day. It's so boring. I am reluctant to return to school. I find my summer holiday so interesting here at the camp."

For CRI, I am Wei Tong.