Harsh Military Training

Chinese students often have mandatory military training in late summer or early autumn. With a new semester approaching, the military training season has begun. Some think the experience is fun, while others really dread its harsh nature.
夏末秋初，中国的学生们都得参加军训。新学期快来了，一年一度的军训也要开始了。有些同学觉得这是一段很快乐的时光，有些人则觉得不堪忍受。



An unnamed freshman(新生) in a high school(高中) in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu province, felt so tired after a training session that he called the police(报警), saying "I am exhausted, but the instructor still asks me to go on".

When parents of the students in the said high school were asked about their views on military training(军训), most of them said they supported(支持) it, but some also showed concern for their children, questioning(质疑) if it was necessary to take the training to such an extreme(极端).

According to education authorities, the purpose of military training is to strengthen students' physical quality(增强体质), promote the spirit of patriotism(发扬爱国主义精神) and develop students' good will and character(磨练意志和品格).

相关词汇 Related Words:

军训 jūn xùn
军 refers to "军队的"(military), and 训 is "训练" (training)
Eg. 上星期我们进行了军训。
      We had a military training last week.

    我主张全体学生都应受军训。
    I maintain that military training should be given to all students.

Educational stages in China
Typical Age    Education 
6-11          [xiǎo xué] 小学 Primary School
12-14        [chū zhōng] 初中 Junior middle school
15-17        [gāo zhōng]高中 Senior high school
                 [zhí yè gāo zhōng]职业高中 Vocational school
18-21        [dà xué] 大学 University or college

Education in China is a state-run system of public education run by the Ministry of Education(教育部). All citizens must attend school for at least nine years, known as the nine-year compulsory education(九年义务教育), which the government funds. It includes six years of primary education, starting at age six or seven, and three years of junior secondary education (middle school) for ages 12 to 15. Some provinces may have five years of primary school but four years for middle school. After middle school, there are three years of high school, which then completes the secondary education. Gaokao(高考) is national examinations to selec students for higher education.