The weekend is usually a period(一段) of time for resting. But today's Chinese students can hardly rest during the weekend.
According to (根据) a survey, 25% of the Grade 8 students in Beijing have classes at the weekend. Over 38% of the middle school students have less than eight hours' sleep each night because of the hard study. And this isn't only in Beijing. Nan Weitong is a Grade 7 student in Hubei. The 13-year-old girl has to get up at 6: 30 am on Saturday. Then she has a whole day of classes. On Sunday, she has extra(额外的) classes for math and English. But Nan Weitong doesn't complain(抱怨). She says her classmates all work very hard.
However, some students are much luckier. They don't have to go to school on weekends.
Zhang Qian, a Grade 9 student from Jinan, is one of them. And she's a top student. During the weekend, she usually gets up at 8: 00 am. Then she spends some time doing her homework. After that, she is free to go shopping or watch TV. Zhang Qian said her mother once wanted her to try extra classes. "But my teacher said it was unnecessary. I didn't need to push myself too much. Learning well at school is enough," Zhang Qian said. "I feel pretty lucky."
