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Fran Lu

A Chinese mother and father who accused their 14-year-old son of not trying hard enough despite him coming fourth in a school class exam have been lambasted on social media for being too demanding.
The unidentified boy felt so wronged by his parents that he ran away from home late at night only to be discovered by police crying and alone on a highway, in southwest China’s Yunnan province on February 11.
He told the police officers that he achieved more than 630 out of the 700 available points in his school’s midterm test.
This ranked him fourth in his class and 20th in his grade, an achievement that failed to satisfy his parents.

“I had such a good score, but I was still blamed when I got home,” the distraught teen told the police.
After finding the boy, officers got in touch with his mother and father and gave them a lecture on parenting which has been applauded by millions on Chinese social media.
“Beating and scolding children doesn’t solve problems,” one of the police officers said, adding: “He is at an age when teenage rebellion is a big issue. If you don’t treat him fairly now, he might develop bigger problems in the future.”
“You should communicate with him patiently, ditch your stereotypes and become his friends,” the police officer told them.

Chinese online observers criticised the parents for being too harsh on their son.
“Don’t be so ridiculous,” one person chided them.
“I want to ask what scores they attained when they were in secondary school,” said another.
A third person said the parents were ignorant of how good their son is: “If I got 630 points in my exam, my dad would give me – and the dog in our village – a red packet,” he said.
The parents’ obsession with the achievement of the best grades has echoes of the jiwa, or “chicken blood parents” phenomenon, in which parents pressure their kids aggressively to ensure their competitiveness in the fierce battle with their peers to get into an elite university.
In January this year, a nine-year-old girl was thrown out of her home by her parents for not finishing her winter holiday homework, drawing widespread online criticism of them.
Earlier this month, a Chinese father was sentenced to 12 years in jail, after he accidentally stabbed his 13-year-old son to death for achieving low scores at school.


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‘Don’t be so ridiculous’: police give Chinese parents exam-pressure dressing down after son, 14, found in tears wandering on highway alone

Chinese social media has reacted with widespread anger towards the parents of a teenage boy who police found crying and alone after he ran away from home because his parents scolded him for his performance at school. Photo: SCMP composite

A distraught Chinese teenager who ran away from home because his parents accused him of not trying hard enough at school has been found crying and alone on a highway by police, sparking outrage on mainland social media. Photo: SCMP composite

Parental pressure to perform well at school can often leave youngsters depressed and anxious. Photo: Shutterstock 

The boy’s parents were given a dressing down by officers when they came to collect their son from the police station (above). Photo: Weibo

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People & Culture

Distraught 14-year-old ranks 4th in class and in top 20 of grade yet parents accuse him of not trying hard enough
Millions turn on his mother and father on mainland social media, saying their attitude to his education could lead to problems for him in later life


Chinese social media observers have rounded on mother and father who scolded their 14-year-old son for not trying hard enough at school despite him coming fourth in a class exam, forcing him to run away from home.


China society

‘Don’t be so ridiculous’: police give Chinese parents exam-pressure dressing down after son, 14, found in tears wandering on highway alone

Distraught 14-year-old ranks 4th in class and in top 20 of grade yet parents accuse him of not trying hard enough Millions turn on his mother and father on mainland social media, saying their attitude to his education could lead to problems for him in later life

Distraught 14-year-old ranks 4th in class and in top 20 of grade yet parents accuse him of not trying hard enough

Millions turn on his mother and father on mainland social media, saying their attitude to his education could lead to problems for him in later life