Giving students room to breathe

The Shanghai Municipal Education Commission announced earlier this year that all primary schools must adopt a "zero start" approach to the education of first-grade students and teaching must not run ahead of the curriculum.

The education commission said English and Chinese should be taught from a "zero start" beginning in the first grade. In addition, the 100-point grading system which is used to mark tests for first- and second-grade students will replaced by new ratings such as "good", "fair", "pass" and "fail."

The move is aimed at easing the academic burden on younger children and ensuring their healthy development.