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Students leap into holiday
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Li Dan
HAVING been freed of their homework burden, local primary and middle school students have made big plans to keep themselves busy during the winter holiday.
Yuan Meng, a sixth-grader at Cuiyuan Primary School, is looking forward to a journey to the West Lake in Hangzhou, capital city of East China's Zhejing Province. “The West Lake is the most beautiful lake in China," she said. “I can enjoy the scenery, see more of the world and get lots of exercise." She has promised her parents to write an article about the journey afterwards, but “that's a piece of cake anyway".
Many parents have arranged to take their children on trips during the holiday. As kids are busy studying during the school year, the Spring Festival is the best time for a journey.
Many parents believe travel can teach many things not to be learned from books.
But not everyone is that lucky. One girl has to take care of her mother's stall while other kids get to play. Her father abandoned them two years ago so her mother opened a small fruit stall near Dongmen Pedestrian Street to make ends meet. “I cannot play away this holiday," she said calmly. “Mother needs some help."
Students of a Luohu middle school received a special homework assignment from their teacher. They were asked to earn five yuan each to pay a class activity fee next semester. Curious and happy with this job, some kids plan to collect discarded recyclable items and some want to sell flowers in the market. “I've got to experience earning my own money and see if it's really hard making a living," one eager boy said.
Hong Chunren, chief of the literary society in Luohu District's Guiyuan Middle School plans to help her teachers publish a book on campus literature. What's more, she plans to write essays and read 10 classical books. Though her plans may call for hard work and leave little time for recreation, Hong thinks it worthwhile to spend the holiday doing what she likes.
Many kids say they dislike fancy clothes, picky parents and visits to relatives which are required from them during the lunar New Year holiday. “The grown-ups chatter about salaries, stocks and flatter each other," a girl said sharply. “I am not interested and no one really cares what I have to say in a gathering like that."
The unhappiest students are junior-three and senior-three students, who won't have the chance to relax and have fun, as they are gearing up for fierce competition in the impending exams which will decide their fate next semester.
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