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

According to the report, released by China Youth and Children Research Center (CYCRC) on Oct. 20, there are around 100 million sleep-deprived young people 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 deprivation among Chinese students.

Despite efforts by the Chinese government to alleviate academic burden on students, primary and secondary school students are still overwhelmed by study stress. On average, primary school students in China spend 8.1 hours at school per day, which exceeds the government-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 Sun Hongyan, director of CYCRC.

“Primary and secondary school students are in a crucial period of physical development, and they should sleep around nine to 10 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.