Less homework means more time to play for children. In reality, however, the equation is not that simple, at least not for Chinese children who spend their summer holidays running from private tuition classes and summer camps to training centers for special disciplines even if they are free of "official" homework.

Chinese education authorities have been trying to lessen the burden on young students. This year, primary and middle schools in Beijing and many other cities have followed local education authorities' instructions to reduce the workload of children during the summer holiday by assigning them little or no homework and banning additional training classes run by public school teachers. And the little homework that students were given was innovative in nature.

The zhongkao (senior high school entrance examination) and gaokao (national college entrance examination) put Chinese students under tremendous pressure from a young age, from the primary school level, to be precise. According to a study led by Therese Hesketh, a professor at University College London, one in every three Chinese primary school child suffers from psychological stress because of the rigid exam-oriented education system.