Shanghai parents are more concerned about their children's studies and the cost of education than they are about the hobbies their kids take part in, a recent survey indicates.

Shanghai China Marketing Research Company sent questionnaires out to 200 local families with children in primary or middle school.

Just over 37 percent of respondents said they are most concerned about their children's studies, the most popular worry among surveyed parents.

"That is understandable since children's performance at school is widely viewed as a very important standard to judge whether a child is good or not in Chinese society," said Fan Weida, who leads the survey team.

Most of the surveyed parents have high expectations for their children, with more than 90 percent of respondents saying they expect their son or daughter to earn at least a Bachelor's degree.

"A good educational background is extremely important. Without this, you cannot get good jobs no matter how clever you are," said Xie Minli, a local parent living in Xuhui District.

Nearly 35 percent of parents said they are afraid their children will start hanging out with juvenile delinquents. This indicates parents also pay attention to the children's virtues, experts said.

Another common concern is accidental injuries. Less than 10 percent of the parents covered by the survey were satisfied with the city's efforts to prevent accidents from happening. The parents said they are most worried that their children will be injured on the way to or from school.

The survey also shows the high cost of education is a big concern for local families.

Of the families covered by the survey, 49.3 percent have a monthly income between 1,000 and 3,000 yuan (US$361), while 29.3 percent earn between 3,000 and 5,000 yuan a month. The rest were either low-income or high-income families.

More than 80 percent of the questioned parents said their first spending priority is their children's education, and 48 percent said they think school fees are too expensive.

"The data mean education investment has become a very important part of a family's expenditure," said Fan.

The survey also indicates that parents and children have different ideas on what makes a suitable hobby.

Many children said they like sports and music, especially pop music. A large number of parents, however, said they don't think their children should spend too much time playing sports.

(Shanghai Daily May 24, 2005)