China’s intense educational competition is increasingly affecting elementary and middle school students. A recent internet term, “prefabricated children” (预制娃), describes students who learn course material well ahead of the school curriculum, turning classroom instruction largely into review. Guangzhou Experimental Middle School principal Zhang Xianlong criticized the practice, saying excessive academic pressure has contributed to high levels of depression, anxiety, and school aversion among students. A 2025 survey cited in the report found that 11 percent of Chinese primary and secondary students were in poor psychological condition and in need of professional intervention.
The pressure has persisted despite China’s 2021 “Double Reduction” policy, which was intended to reduce academic and extracurricular tutoring burdens. Parents interviewed in Beijing said the policy has failed to ease the pressure, with exam difficulty reportedly increasing since its implementation and driving families toward intensive advance preparation and underground tutoring. Some parents reported severe test anxiety and depression among their children, including cases in which students took leave from school because of academic difficulties.
Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), September 20, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202609200045.aspx