Academic Pressure Leads to Sleep Deprivation among Chinese Students

熊艳婷

据中国青少年研究中心发布的统计数据显示，近十年间，近六成中小学生睡眠不足国家规定的9小时。有媒体调查发现，中小学生压力呈增加趋势，写作业、上课外补习班时间比原来更长。作业多、在校时间长、课外补习班时间增加，是导致中小学生睡眠不足的主要原因。

Over the past 1）decade， more than 60 percent of primary and secondary school students in China have failed to regularly get enough sleep， with 2）excessive homework and 3）supplementary after-school classes getting in the way of their health， a recent report suggested.

According to the report， 4）released by China Youth and Children Research Center （CYCRC） on Oct. 20， 2020， there are around 100 million sleep-deprived young people 5）currently living in China. Copious homework assignments， more hours spent studying at school and increasing pressure to participate in supplementary after-school sessions are the main causes of sleep 6）deprivation among Chinese students.

Despite efforts by the Chinese government to 7）alleviate

1） decade [?deke?d] n.十年

2） excessive [?k?sesiv] adj.過度的

3） supplementary [?s?pl??mentri] adj.补充的

4） release[r??li?s] v.发布，发行

5） currently [?k?r?ntli] adv.目前

6） deprivation [?depr??ve??n] n.剥夺

7） alleviate [??li?vie?t] v.减轻

academic burden on students， primary and secondary school students are still 8）overwhelmed by study stress. On average， primary school students in China spend 8.1 hours at school per day， which 9）exceeds the government-10）approved six hours. Middle school students spend an average of 11 hours per day at school， which is three hours more than the national standard.

“The evaluation standards for teachers mainly focus on students， academic performance and enrollment rate， so we have no choice but to deprive the students of their spare time，” a teacher from No. 33 Middle School in Baotou， Inner Mongolia told the Xinhua News Agency during an interview.

“More and more after-school sessions are also imposed on Chinese students. Chinese students have to spend more time on their homework and off-campus studies，” added the director of CYCRC.

“Primary and secondary school students are in a crucial period of physical development， and they should sleep around nine to ten hours per day. Sleep deprivation can lead to weakened immunity and memory， and can also hinder physical growth，” said Wang Zan， a member of the China Sleep Research Society.

8） overwhelm [???v??welm] v.淹没

9） exceed [?k?si?d] v.超过

10） approve [??pru?v] v.批准

词组加油站

get in the way of阻碍

on average平均

enrollment rate入学率

据报告显示，在过去的十年里，中国超过60%的中小学生经常睡眠不足，过多的家庭作业和课外补习班影响了他们的健康。

根据中国青少年研究中心（CYCRC）2020年10月20日发布的这份报告，目前中国约有1亿年轻人睡眠不足。大量的家庭作业，更长的在校学习时间，以及越来越大的参加课外补习班的压力，是中国学生睡眠不足的主要原因。

尽管中国政府努力减轻学生的学业负担，但中小学生仍然不堪重负。小学生平均每天在校时间为8.1小时，超过了政府批准的6小时。中学生平均每天在校时间为11小时，比国家标准多3小时。

内蒙古包头市第33中学的一名教师在接受新华社采访时表示：“教师的评价标准主要关注学生的学业成绩和入学率，因此我们别无选择，只能剥夺学生的课余时间。”

“越来越多的课外活动也被强加给中国学生。他们不得不把更多的时间花在家庭作业和校外学习上。”中国青少年研究中心主任补充道。

中国睡眠研究会会员王赞说：“中小学生正处于身体发育的关键时期，每天睡眠时间应在9至10小时左右。睡眠不足会导致免疫力和记忆力减弱，还会阻碍身体发育。”