"We have to choose another primary school for my son because those near us are not good enough," said Yang Hailing, whose son is in the second level of kindergarten. Under the Chinese educational system, kindergarten consists of three levels and is not required. Parents usually choose a primary school before their kids enter the third level of kindergarten, so Yang is a little behind schedule.

According to China's enrollment system, students must attend schools located in their community. If they want to attend schools elsewhere, they must pay a "school-choosing fee."

Pupils suffer excessive study pressure in China.

In general, there are three ways to choose a school. The best way is to buy an apartment in a community that already has good schools, although this can cost a lot of money. Beijing's Haidian District, for example, has many famous schools, but the price of an apartment 20 years old costs more than 20,000 yuan (US$2,928) per square meter. Another way to choose a school is to ask an influential person to help put the student into a good school, although parents still have to pay the "school-choosing fee." The third way is to train the kid in a special skill, such as basketball, dancing or drawing, but many parents are unwilling to have the kids' future fixed so early.

How many people are choosing schools in China? According to a survey conducted by the Chinese Youth Daily, 98.5 percent of people have either chosen schools for their children or have seen others doing this. The survey was given to 14,081 people in 31 provinces. Choosing schools has been a common practice across the country.

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