Teachers at a primary school in Nanchang city, the capital of Jiangxi province, are detailing all homework assignments in text messages sent to the parents of their pupils' mobile phones, according to a report in the Jiangnan City Express. 

The school claims they don't force parents to accept such text messages and their purpose is only to enable the parents to better supervise their children's homework. However the parents concerned are voicing differing opinions on the subject.

Some parents say that students can't get down to their homework straight after school because the text message is not sent till 7PM.

While others are quite in sympathy with the school's approach. They think children are often quite lacking in self-discipline, and so the text message system is a good way to keep students under their parents' supervision.

(Xinhua News Agency October 28, 2005)