Love-hate relationship

When Siwen, now a sixth-grade student in Beijing's Xicheng district, started primary school, she asked her parents to enroll her in tutoring courses to learn English, as many of her peers had already started to learn the language.

She has taken these courses for six years and is among the top students in her class. Siwen can speak fluent English and passed the Preliminary English Test in December, according to her mother, Zou Ye.

Although the family has spent 30,000 yuan a year on tutoring courses for English, Zou said she does not consider the money wasted, as it has helped her daughter improve her proficiency in the language.

"It is like a love-hate relationship. Although I wouldn't say Siwen enjoyed the classes, they have helped her academically," Zou said.

Zhou Sichen, the father of a 6-year-old daughter in Wuhan, Hubei province, has taken her to different tutoring classes since she was 3.

Each week, the girl attends courses in Chinese, English, math, piano, dancing, physical exercise and boxing. This semester, Zhou has signed her up for pinyin courses, as he was told by other parents that teachers in the first grade do not spend much time on such lessons.

Course tuition fees for his two daughters comprise a large proportion of the family budget, Zhou said, adding that he and his wife have significantly reduced spending on themselves to ensure they can afford the best education for their children.

Zhou holds a doctorate in journalism from Wuhan University, while his wife graduated in journalism from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The two institutions are among the country's top universities.

"We considered not pushing our daughters academically and just letting them enjoy a happy schooling, but we are afraid they might end up at vocational secondary schools," Zhou said.

"If they do not have the scores to get into their dream universities, they might blame us."