China home study spy cameras leave girl ‘suffocated’, revealing tip of ‘pressure to excel’ academic iceberg, sparking online debate
- Young girl rails against mum who wants to watch her study while home alone
- Teachers say parents need to ‘let go’, give children trust and independence
A student in China who feels suffocated by the home surveillance cameras her parents have set up to monitor her studying has reignited online discussions about the huge pressure mainland children face to excel academically.
As schools in China begin the winter holiday, some parents say they are considering placing cameras in the rooms of their children to ensure they work hard while at home alone.
An unidentified mother told the mainland media outlet Hongxing News that she wanted to install a camera in her daughter’s room, after seeing a work colleague give real-time instructions to her child, who was studying at home.
However, her fourth-grade primary school daughter firmly rejected the idea and hid the camera she planned to install.
Another mother said her son secretly removed the lens of a surveillance camera in his room in protest.
A student said in an online post that the camera watched her constantly, making her feel “suffocated”.