Home / Education / China's 'Pre-Made Children': Holiday Learning Pressure
China's 'Pre-Made Children': Holiday Learning Pressure
15 Aug
Summary
- A new term, 'pre-made children,' describes kids forced to study ahead during holidays.
- The phrase compares intense tutoring to factory-processed meals, implying a lack of freshness.
- Debate rages online about whether this pressure is fair to children.
A new term, 'pre-made children,' has emerged on Chinese social media, highlighting a trend where parents push their children to study ahead during summer holidays. This intense academic preparation, compared to factory-processed meals, draws on a negative perception of ready-made food in China.
The phrase describes students learning material not yet taught in school, with examples including primary schoolers studying advanced poems and maths. Parents, like one identified as Li, admit to tutoring their children daily, driven by anxiety about falling behind.
This phenomenon is part of a wider 'chicken-blood parenting' approach, emphasizing extreme pressure for academic competitiveness. Online discussions often use the term 'juan' to describe this intense, escalating competition.
While some netizens question the fairness and added stress for children, others find such programs beneficial. Advocates argue that early adaptation to upcoming academic environments, like university, is helpful for future planning and career pathways.
