reporter: using the app, zhao ying gets daily reports from xiaoxiao's teachers on her son's performance and his homework. zhao: in china, homework is a tough job fofor the parents. it can give you a heart condition. reporter: by 5:45 p.m., xiaoxiao has finished his math and english exercises. he and his mother take a break for dinner. his father works 12 hours a day, so xiaoxiao barely sees him during the week. chinese children are alreaeady being trained for their later workload. xiaoxiao: i think i have enough titime to play. if i g get my homewowork doe ququickly, i have more, but ifim too slow, i haveve less. sometimes i have an hour a day, sometimes 40 minutes or just 20. itit depends. reporter: it's time for his evening class, a language and writing course. china's technophile society enthusiastically embraces new teaching methodsds, especiallyf they're more playful than traditional learning by rote. but zhao ying sometimes asks herself if she's pushing him too far. zhaoao: many children now in c a are excellent ststudents. but then they fafail an importt exam, and they can't deal

but zhao ying sometimes asks herself if she's pushing him too far. zhao: : many children now in cha are excellent stududents. but then they failil an importt exam, and they can't deal with the frustratation and they jup off a a rooftop. what matters most to me is to raise a healthy personality. reporter: that's an issue that's much discussed on the internet in china. the competition to enter the best schools and universities is fierce. and there is one thing that has not changeged for generations - chinese characters require a lot of practice. by the end of primary school, children are expected to read and write 3500 characters. practicing those characters is xiaoxiao's fininal task of the day. at 9:30, he's finally done. bedtime. he just finished 12 hours of studying and activities. now it's sunday. but he's not off today, either. weekends are the busiest time for tutors. besides regular school subjects, there is a broad range of subjects that parents can book for their kids. from ballet to chess, art, calligraphy, and even skiing. for children like