The problem is so bad that urgent measures are needed, warns the study, led by British and Chinese researchers.

　　The investigation surveyed 2,191 pupils aged nine to 12 in nine schools in urban and rural Zhejiang, a relatively prosperous coastal province in eastern China.

　　Eighty-one percent of the youngsters said they worried "a lot" about exams, 63 percent feared being punished by their teacher, 44 percent had been physically bullied at least sometimes – with boys likelier to be victims than girls – and 73 percent had been physically punished by their parents.

　　Most of the children complained they struggled to cope with the amount of homework they were assigned.

　　Over one-third reported headaches or abdominal pains – psychosomatic symptoms of stress – at least once a week. The most stressed children reported incidence of aches or pains of four times a week.

　　The investigation, led by Therese Hesketh, a professor at University College London (UCL) Centre for International Health and Development, pointed the finger at extreme competitiveness in China's education system, from the onset of primary school.

　　“The competitive and punitive educational environment leads to high levels of stress and psychosomatic symptoms," the authors say.

　　“Measures to reduce unnecessary stress on children in schools should be introduced urgently."

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