The draft of the National Outline for Medium and Long-term Education Reform and Development has been published for public opinion. Experts say easing the pressure on primary school students is high on the agenda.

"Too much burden on the kids" --- parents usually sigh, but they still send their children to after-school classes.

Yuan Zhenguo, president of Nat. Inst. for Educational Research, said, "Now, schools are not allowed to have classes at weekends, but parents still send their kids to extra classes, even from the morning to the evening."

All this is due to the fierce competition and psychological pressure on each student, and their parents.

Yuan Zhenguo said, "Many schools have lists ranking their students. They publicize the students' scores in the classroom, and even arrange parents' seats according to their child's ranking at meetings."

Yuan Zhenguo stresses that according to the Outline, the reform priority over the next decade will be first to reduce the burden on primary school students. Two things need to be adjusted:　the school times, and the amount of homework.

Yuan Zhenguo said, "For example, no homework for Grade One and Two students, thirty to forty minutes' homework for Grade Three and Four, and no more than an hour of homework for the higher grades."

Yuan believes it's most important to ease students' psychological pressure. He says teachers also need to improve their teaching methods to make students interested in their homework. He also hopes schools and parents will provide students with more after-school activities, through which they can learn more about life and gain more knowledge.