Regional education reform boosts students' happiness and life satisfaction, an evaluation survey has revealed.

Shangcheng district in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in conjunction with Beijing Normal University, has conducted regional education reform surveys since 2009.

Until this year, students' academic performance in Shangcheng have exceeded average levels in Hangzhou city.

Students with a comparatively poor academic performance in 2009 particularly showed a dramatic improvement after the reforms, increasing education fairness, the evaluation survey showed.

Liu Bin, the national school inspector and Liu Zicheng, director of the reform department at the Ministry of Education, approved the reform, believing it provides a successful regional case for national education reform.

"After the reform, students are happier and more satisfied with their lives. They also show a more positive attitude to study and to society...while negative emotions, including students' loneliness, anxiety and depression have decreased," said Xiang Haigang, head of the education commission in Shangcheng district, adding that the reform does not focus on increasing students' academic performance but shaping all-round developed students.