For next time you're feeling overworked and sorry for yourself...

I've been spending a lot of time in the last few days at the middle school (equivalent to the first three years of high school). Interviewed some teachers and the principal, assisted in an English class, etc. One of the things I did was to make a copy of the student's timetable, which I will reproduce here.

6.30am Get up
6.40-7.00 Morning exercise
7.00-7.20 Breakfast
7.20-8.00 Supervised reading
8.10-8.55 1st period
9.05-9.50 2nd period
9.50-10.20 Eye exercises and physical exercises or dancing
10.20-11.05 3rd period
11.15-12.00 4th period
12.00-1.00 Lunch break
1.00- 1.40 Supervised sleep / rest in classrooms
1.50- Prepare
2.00-2.45 5th period
2.55-3.40 6th period
3.50-4.35 7th period
4.45-5.30 8th period
5.30 Dinner
6.30-7.15 Supervised reading
7.25-7.35 Assembly
7.35-8.25 1st evening period
8.35-9.20 2nd evening period
9.30-10.20 3rd evening period
10.30 Sleep

Only the students in their 3rd year of high school attend the last period from 9.30 - 10.20, the 1st and 2nd years finish at 9.20. Apart from that, everyone attends every class, there are no free periods. Most students don't live on campus and will have breakfast, lunch and dinner at home, in between classes. The students are usually aged between 12 and 16. They have very little time to play- oh did I mention that this timetable applies 7 days a week... Every so often they have Sunday off and if their family lives in another village they can go home Saturday night and come back Sunday afternoon (as long as they don't live too far away and their family can afford the fare).

I actually think it is quite a good school and in terms of its schedule is probably no different to most middle schools across China. But for the kids it is a pretty gruelling lifestyle.

So next time you're feeling overworked and sorry for yourself...