Father's fear of policy

Zhang Xiaochi, the father of a kindergarten pupil in Dongguan, Guangdong province.

Like many other parents, I support the idea of reducing the excessive academic workload on my son but doubt its effectiveness.

I fear the "less homework" policy for primary and secondary school pupils implemented by the Ministry of Education will turn out to favor the rich, since they have the means to send their children to expensive after-school classes or private schools.

However, public education is still the only and cheapest way for my son to compete with others and enjoy a better future than I do.

Born in 1988 into a humble family in Wuhan, Hubei province, I was a so-called slow learner at school and was a frequent visitor to internet cafes to play video games. I did not care about school and studying in my rebellious teenage years. And like many of my friends, I was also a left-behind child, with my parents working in other cities.

In the sophomore year of high school, I failed five out of six classes and had no hope of being enrolled in any university.

Luckily, I had a very responsible teacher who reminded me many times that as long as I worked hard, I had the potential to be enrolled in a good university.

The answer to wasting my time previously, playing games, was to study, study and study some more, at every possible hour in the last year of high school. Eventually, I was enrolled in Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan.

Three years ago, like many other cities in China, Wuhan started to cancel the enrollment test from primary school to middle school, and pupils' enrollment is based on where the students live and a lucky draw.

It is clearly irresponsible for any society to allow its children to grow up overworked and unhappy, but I have to remind myself to be rational, since there are limited education resources.

When public schools cut their class hours and give little homework to primary and secondary school pupils, parents in big cities can send their children to often-expensive after-school tutoring classes. But the children in less-privileged families often just stay home and play video games.

Yet despite its stresses and controversies, the national college entrance exam, or gaokao, which will not be canceled in the near future, provides the only chance for less-privileged students to make it to the top.

The gaokao presents many opportunities for children, in rural and urban areas. Without it, millions of children from rural backgrounds, including me, would have no hope of competing with their urban counterparts.

I want my son's future to be determined by how hardworking he is, not by how rich or powerful his parents are.

Zhang Xiaochi spoke with Zou Shuo.