The Ministry of Education has called on parents and students to boycott illegal competition activities during the ongoing winter break and view the competitions in a rational manner.

The ministry reiterated that any results from the competitions cannot be used for student admission to primary and secondary schools or for getting extra points in high school and college entrance exams.

Certain people have organized the competitions during winter breaks and spread information about them through WeChat groups, the ministry said in a release on Sunday.

The ministry has worked with other departments to hold them accountable and the competition is no longer being held, the release said.

The ministry in September released a list of 44 national competitions for primary and secondary school students from 2022 to 2025, aiming to develop students' talents in sciences, humanities, art and sports. Each competition is only allowed to be held once a year.

In the release, the ministry said any competition not included in the list is illegitimate and any companies or individuals touting that participating competitions can help students get into better schools is spreading rumors.

Their behaviors exacerbate anxiety, increase academic burden and harm students' health and are suspected of committing fraud. The ministry will work with other departments to crack down on the illegal competitions to reduce students' academic burden during winter breaks, the release added.