The crippling pressure put on children to study longer hours continues to be a cause for concern throughout China.

Extreme study habits were said to be a key factor in the case of a nine year-old Wuhan student who lost her eyesight after spending several months studying an additional 5 courses on weekends. The situation has gotten so bad that newspapers are calling for parents to scale back the expectations placed on their children.

The schools are also being criticized; the president of a literary publishing house says China’s cultural education is completely fragmented, and that the country’s schools are to blame for alienating children from literature.

Despite indications that the education system is in desperate need of reform, Chinese schools don’t appear to be paying much attention. Recent photos taken at a Shanxi Province school suggest rote-based learning, reinforced by standardized testing, remain the method of the day.

While some schools might be interested in smaller class sizes, the Sanhe Academy in Baoji favours huge numbers of students when it comes to examinations.

Late last week, the school arranged over 1,000 desks and chairs outside on the school’s athletic grounds, reported Guangzhou Daily. Over the course of three sittings, the school’s 1,600 students took various tests…outside.

Photos: Guangzhou Daily