First person

I feel sorry about the pressure my son has to endure at school

Shi Qiang, 45, father of a high school student in Changsha, Hunan province.

When I was a primary school student in the 1980s before the spread of computers and the internet, I heard many stories about some parents' odd behavior.

They fawned over the teachers, gifts changed hands, and many teachers were given holiday presents by wealthy parents.

Their kids were often "rewarded" with prestigious positions as class monitors.

Fraught parent-teacher relationships are not a new phenomenon in China, but WeChat groups have added a new dimension to them.

The groups are usually organized by the teachers, who are also the group leaders. The basic function of the group is to use technology to improve communications between schools and families.

In reality, however, these groups are simply a means for teachers to tell parents "Do as you are told." They are not channels for parents to file complaints or challenge decisions.

Teachers maintain an authoritative front against the parents, just as they do with students.

Harmony in these groups only exists when the parents are as obedient as the kids. If not, conflicts occur and war can break out.

I was once in a group that only existed for a few hours. It was set up by my son's teacher when my kid entered ninth grade, the second-most important grade in the educational system after grade 12.

Twelfth-graders face the national college entrance exam, while ninth-graders have to compete for places at high schools.

Given China's large population and limited resources, not all middle school students are guaranteed a place at their preferred high school.

It is understandable that parents are just as anxious and nervous as the students in those grades. So, as soon as this ninth-grade WeChat group was established, concerned parents posted many questions.

Nobody took the young female teacher seriously when she stated: "I set up this group purely for school announcements. Do not ask irrelevant questions or distract attention."

She closed the group chat after issuing two warnings, leaving all of us parents dumbfounded.

In the classroom, she directed her anger and dissatisfaction toward the students, criticizing their parents as rude and impolite.

I am not saying the conflict between the parents and the teacher was entirely her fault-she was just one link in a long chain of problems in the education system.

I feel lucky that I was born before competition became so fierce in schools. I feel sorry about the pressure my son has to endure at school.

If no real action is taken, what sorts of difficulties and problems will my grandchildren's generation face when they go to school?

Shi Qiang spoke with Zou Shuo.