For Zhu Jiaji, a middle school student in Hangzhou, this spring
is particularly fun and relaxing.
Students in all primary and middle schools in Hangzhou, the
capital of east China's Zhejiang
Province, will enjoy their first spring holiday beginning on
April 24.
The city's education bureau has decided to add a two-week-long
spring break and a one-week-long autumn retreat to the former
school calendar. The spring festival holiday in January and
February, and the summer holiday between July and September
remain.
Hangzhou is the first city in the country to implement the
spring and autumn holidays, but many other cities are likely to
follow suit and such a calendar may become standard for all
students nationwide.
"To lighten the heavy study burden on children and give them
rest time, we have adjusted the holiday timetable," said Huang
Jianmin, a senior official with the Hangzhou Education Bureau.
Under the new holiday timetable, the spring holiday lasts two
weeks around International Labor Day, which falls on May 1. The
summer holiday will be delayed from the beginning of July to the
middle of the month, and will end on September 1 as usual.
But despite the support of most students, parents and staff for
the new regulation, some parents worry about who will take care of
children during the holidays.
(China Daily April 19, 2004)