Anxious parents

However, some parents said the absence of tutoring courses has resulted in their children's academic grades slipping, and they are worried about arranging winter holidays for them.

Wei Yingying (not her real name), the mother of a middle school student in Haidian district, Beijing, said her daughter performed poorly during her final exam, triggering anxiety about the girl's future.

Although the school has not published students' exact scores or rankings, and teachers have told Wei that the occasional below-par performance does not matter greatly, one-on-one tutors have been hired to give the student instruction at home, even though the practice is forbidden.

Wei said that although her daughter was happy at primary school, as there is no middle school entry exam, she could not simply waste her time at the latter school, as only a good performance in the high school entrance exam could ensure her a place at a reputable institution.

"I did not know how to prepare her for middle school, but having tutors to help offers me some comfort, whether such courses are effective or not," Wei said.

"My daughter seemed to be more open-minded about her poor scores than I was. She had not realized the seriousness of this, which made me more worried."