Our newspaper's survey results show that middle school students' winter vacations are obviously more monotonous than those of primary school students. Among the interviewed middle school students, nearly half spend an average of more than 5 hours a day on tutoring classes; over half of the interviewed students spend more than 3 hours a day on homework. The assignments they need to complete not only include the various subject homework given by their school teachers before the break but also include homework from different tutoring classes during the winter vacation.
Eighty percent of respondents play with peers for no more than one hour a day.
Chief reporters: Wu Shuang, Xu Yuejiao
A conclusion drawn from the survey is that the level of happiness during holidays is inversely proportional to the grade level of the students. The higher the grade, the lower the happiness index. Student feedback indicates that the main reason is the heavy burden of tutoring caused by the pressure of advancing grades. "If everyone else is attending tutoring classes and you're always thinking about playing, not studying for a few days, you'll feel guilty and won't be able to enjoy yourself even when you go out." Wang Xinyue, who is in her second year of junior high school, remarked.
"I remember my childhood holidays where I would gather a few classmates every day to do our holiday homework together and then play, which was very enjoyable. Few children in urban areas of Shenyang attended tutoring classes back then. Unlike now, parents have to spend a lot of money on tutoring for their children, and this trend spreads through peer influence. If your child attends tutoring, mine has to as well. People say this creates a vicious cycle, where everyone is attending outside classes, so teachers don't put as much effort into teaching in class, forcing even those who don't want tutoring to attend external classes."
During the investigation, the reporter learned that although the pressure of advancing grades isn't immediately pressing, students in the first and second years of junior high school still have busy winter vacations. Most of their holiday time is spent on tutoring, mainly focused on subjects important for advancement. "Mathematics and foreign languages are mandatory. My daughter isn't good at math, so besides attending tutoring with her teacher at school, we also hired a math teacher from a key junior high school to give her two lessons per week," said Chang Mingqin, the parent of a first-year junior high school student.
Recently, our newspaper conducted a survey interview with 200 primary and middle school students in Shenyang regarding their winter vacation lives. The results showed that while many primary school students find their winter vacations joyful, compared to ten or twenty years ago, the content of today's holidays has changed significantly.
Half of the interviewed middle school students spend more than 5 hours a day on tutoring.
83% of primary school students spend an average of no more than one hour a day playing with friends during the winter vacation. "Where's the time? Today you go here, tomorrow he goes there." Parent Wang Nan attributes the lack of playtime among children to them attending different tutoring classes. Third-grader Wang Xintong doesn't even know where her classmates live. She loves the tutoring classes her mother enrolled her in because she feels there are "many friends" there.
Nowadays, many middle school students lament the "troubles of growing up." Some students even altered the lyrics "The older I get, the lonelier and more uneasy I become" to "The older I get, the more tutoring I attend, the sadder I become."
Do you think your holiday was enjoyable? Why?
More than 80% of the interviewed middle school students stated that they spend an average of no more than three hours a day playing with friends or classmates.
Zhao Jingwen (30 years old, postgraduate degree, currently working in the financial industry)
Hao Yuheng (36 years old, undergraduate degree, currently working in a training institution)
Adults talk about their own student-era holidays
When asked if they were willing to attend these classes, Mingming, who is as quiet as a girl, seemed accustomed to it and said "yes." Ms. Shen, Mingming's parent, believed that although Mingming seems to be constantly "rushing around" between various talent classes, her holidays are not dull. "There are artistic and sports-related activities, and she can play with other children. She likes it herself."
Analysis
The higher the grade, the lower the happiness index during winter vacation
Primary School Students
"I'm from a rural area, and when I was young, I had never heard of tutoring classes. Our holidays consisted of running wild and playing freely. As long as teachers taught diligently and students studied diligently, there was nothing we couldn't learn. I believe that playing is what truly fosters growth and enhances both IQ and EQ. Thinking back to those times, every child was full of vitality, rich in imagination, and independent. Looking at children now, they can't do anything and are exhausted, but what progress do they really make in the end?"
Junior three student Xiao Yu (a pseudonym) frankly admitted that this winter vacation was no less stressful than going to school, including chain sales. "Several teachers rented a place outside, and all the students went there for classes." Xiao Yu found tutoring exhausting and boring but felt compelled to attend. "Most of the students in my class are taking tutoring classes. Now, being in the crucial third year of junior high school, no one wants to fall behind. If only you don't take tutoring, the teacher might think you have some ulterior motive."
In the happiness index surveys conducted separately for primary and middle school students, 77% of primary school students felt their holidays were pleasant, while this proportion equates to the percentage of middle school students who felt their holidays were not enjoyable.
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Survey Two
A primary school student's winter vacation schedule
In our childhood, playing games with peers was probably the main form of entertainment during holidays. However, for today's primary school students, playing with peers has become a luxury. The survey results show that 63% of primary school students spend most of their winter vacation "online or watching TV"; 31% spend more time attending various tutoring classes; even 21% spend more than 5 hours a day online or watching TV; nine interviewed primary school students reported spending more than 5 hours a day attending various tutoring classes.
Mingming, a fourth-grade student living on Xinggong Street in Tiexi District, Shenyang, is under 10 years old and already wears glasses with over 200 degrees of prescription. Although essays often describe holiday life as colorful and fun, Mingming's winter vacation life is indeed varied, but not in terms of travel or gaming—it involves participation in various types of tutoring classes. Let's take a look at Mingming's holiday schedule:
With just over 40 days left in the winter vacation, how have you allocated your time? Has your winter vacation provided you with enough happiness and relaxation?