Respondents nagged by students' parents committees

BEIJING -- A survey conducted among 2,004 Chinese parents showed that 56.1 percent were members of students' parents committees, while 70.3 percent had been troubled by such organizations, China Youth Daily reported Tuesday.

Students' parents committees are designed to facilitate communication between teachers and parents. Some of the surveyed parents voluntarily joined the committees after selection and others were appointed by teachers.

A total of 54.3 percent believed the students' parents committees should oversee the work of schools and teachers, 56.1 percent thought the committees should help teachers with work and 49.3 percent said committees were responsible for improving students' extracurricular activities.

According to Hao Zhijun, the parent of a fifth-grade pupil at Zhuanqiao Primary School in Shanghai, the students' parents committee he attended would help hold family education lectures, provide consultation for parents and address disputes among students.

Those bothered by such organizations cited worries that teachers may be partial to students whose parents are committee members and that the work that should be done by schools is transferred to parents.

In terms of running students' parents committees more effectively, 63.8 percent of the respondents said that there should be regular elections so that more parents could participate, 59.7 percent said that the operation of committees should be more transparent with strengthened supervision and 56.1 percent said that the responsibilities of the committees should be clarified.