Spending several hundred yuan singing Karaoke, more than 1,000 yuan (US$123) on name-brand sportswear or several thousand yuan on domestic travel is just routine for more and more middle school students. However, educational experts worry that extravagance will prove detrimental to both them and their families, today's Shanghai Morning Post reported.
"We usually welcome nearly 1,000 student customers on average every day during summer vacation, with a per-capita expenditure of more than 100 yuan," said an employee with a Karaoke bar on Huaihai Road.
"During the summer holiday, I spent 3,200 yuan on two sets of personal photo collections, more than 5,000 yuan on clothes and cosmetics and several thousand yuan on travel to Dalian," said Wen Wen, a Grade-Two student of a local high school. "It is not rare to spend 10,000 or 20,000 yuan during the summer vacation, and spending is the best way to relieve study pressure," Wen explained, her parents being just ordinary wage earners.
Parents give financial support for their children for various reasons.
"My grandson was recruited by a famous high school this year and many relatives gave money to him. Except for money, we cannot find other ways to encourage him," said Zhou, a 65-year-old nanny.
"I gave more pocket money to my son so that he will not feel inferior to other classmates," said an ordinary wage-earner, adding that other children all have such fashionable appliances as handsets, iPODs, and MP3s, so she would regret it if her son has none of these items.