Gu Jia/Shanghai Daily news

More and more pupils take adjustment-training, rather than ordinary lessons, on their first day at primary school.  By doing so, it is believed, they are encouraged to get along with their school life as soon as possible.
As usual, the first month is a very tough time for most pupils, as the life in school is far removed from that of kindergarten.  The more-strict environment in school may easily put students off study, and can even have a negative effect on their psychological well-being.
The two-week adjustment period is refered to as "ablactation" or weaning at the primary school attached to Shanghai Normal College. 
"In the first two weeks of the semester our pupils in Grade One lead as normal a school life as students in other grades in terms of participating in the flag-raising ceremony and dining, " explained Principal Zhang with a smile, "the difference is that they don't have to learn things from books."
"With the help of their new teachers, they will try to acclimatise to the school, such as learning the species of the plants and the function of every building on the campus. This may also eliminate their fears and discomforts about being left in a totally strange environment by their parents", Principal Zhang added.
Ding Yun, a researcher in pre-school education from the Shanghai Education and Science Institute, suggested a need for more cooperation and exchange between local kindergartens and primary schools, focusing on how to help the children to better-acclimatise to school life, and to settle-in quicker.