The streets surrounding Shijia primary school in Beijing were mobbed by a crowd of parents so dense that cars were obliged to beat a retreat.
At 3.45 p.m. on Friday, 11-year-old Zou Tingting bounded through the school's west gate and into her mother's arms. Tingting's classes were over, but her day was just beginning — she had an hour of homework, plus lessons in pingpong, swimming, art, calligraphy, and piano.
Tingting's mother, Huang Chunhua, said that, like many Chinese mothers, she once considered Tingting's academic performance her top priority; now, she realizes the importance of a well-rounded education.