第三學(xué)期(dìsān xuéqī): A third semester

For many Chinese primary and middle school students, the summer holiday is no long a time to relax, but "a third semester" that is just as busy as the other semesters. This is because many parents require their children to attend extracurricular training classes during the summer holidays.

Parents are willing to pay thousands of yuan for training classes during the summer break for their children. Popular training classes include Math and English, as well as extracurricular classes such as music and dance.

Some parents regard the training classes as a way for their children to be taken care of and kept occupied during the summer holiday when they are at work, but some of them pay for the training classes because of their competition anxiety.

Some parents have told the media that since about 80 percent of the students in their children's class are attending summer holiday training classes, they feel forced to do the same, fearing their children will lag behind their classmates otherwise.

Experts say it is better for parents to respect their children's wishes over whether to attend summer holiday training classes, as it is important for children to have a happy childhood.