Recent Reports of Student Suicide Attempts Highlight Challenges in China’s Education System

Chinese students are feeling increasingly frustrated and helpless due to the heavy burden of academic pressures and the stresses of daily life.

Students take part in the college entrance exam in an exam room in a middle school in Xian of Shaanxi Province, China, on June 7, 2005. China Photos/Getty Images

News Analysis

An increasing number of schoolchildren in China have been taking their own lives in recent years. Chinese educators point to the high-pressure, exam-oriented education model as a major factor, further exacerbated by the country’s economic downturn.