Shengliver’s Note: At YYHS, Year 11 students are dismissed at 6.20 pm on Saturday evening and report to the class director in the classroom at 2.20 on Sunday afternoon. It is a weekend fixture that the teenagers study in the classroom for three hours until 5.30 pm on Sunday afternoon. My class did a writing assignment the other day, debating the soundness of this school institution.

Pro

The moment some classmates speak of coming to school on Sunday afternoon, their emotions run high. They feel angry and resentful. In my opinion, it is necessary for us to study for 3 hours in the classroom on Sunday afternoon.

As we are high school students, how to improve our grades should be prioritised. With the college entrance exams approaching, we have to make better use of our precious time.

Misusing the smartphone for gaming and social networking is a time killer, especially at home. Our home is often too comfortable for us, so we tend to feel relaxed and cannot focus on serious work in that intoxicating environment. Besides, distractions are almost constant in most homes. The classroom, by contrast, is a much better place for study.

Teacher help and supervision is of critical importance to us. There are cases where we cannot discipline ourselves and where we cannot solve a problem on our own. In the classroom, with the teacher present, we can get help when we are in trouble and there is no way we could waste time gaming or fooling around. Therefore, we can commit ourselves to studying effectively and efficiently.

All in all, it is of great benefit for us to come and study for three hours in the classroom on Sunday afternoon. Think about it, classmates. A 20-hour break is long enough to get a good rest and get refreshed. Even though Sunday afternoon is still part of the weekend, it is worthwhile to come and devote it to our schoolwork in order to get better grades. When in college you look back to your diligence, you will not regret it.

Con

When it comes to holidays, there are two contradictory opinions among us. Some think vacation is time to relax. Others hold that it is a good opportunity to study more and catch up. In my view, holidays should not be sacrificed for work. What is the original meaning of vacation, anyway?

First and foremost, holidays are meant to give us an opportunity to relax and refresh. We study Monday through Saturday. If Sunday were gone or shortened, when else could we relax? Maybe some students are full of energy and are willing to study more on Sunday afternoon. However, it cannot be denied that most of us have been both worn out and fed up after a lengthy week of lessons and schoolwork. Besides, long sedentary hours in the classroom hurts our health. We badly need a break from the tedious long school week.

Secondly, without sufficient rest, it is almost impossible to study efficiently. When you are tired and bored, it does not follow that the longer you work, the better your grades. A good rest will refresh and recharge us so that we can have positive emotions and put more energy into a new week.

Last but not least, youth includes not only school but also happiness. As Oscar Wilde once said, “Youth is the one thing worth having.” At the best age, we are supposed to have time to enjoy what youth has to offer. Learning well and having fun are not mutually exclusive. We can achieve both, only if a good balance is struck between work and play.

All in all, every coin has two sides. There is no denying that too much holiday detracts from grades. Our problem is that we simply do not get enough time for a good rest on the weekend. For the sake of our physical wellbeing and our sanity, I don’t think we should come and study for three hours on Sunday afternoon. It does more harm than good.

Pro

Many students hate the rule that forces us to come back to school and study for 3 hours in the classroom on Sunday afternoon. I used to be one of the vehement haters. Now as a senior, however, I think it is necessary for us to accept it without complaint.

With the most important exam approaching, lots of students are under increasingly greater peer pressure. After slogging at school for a week, we do deserve a short break, but on Sunday afternoon, we’d better come and study at school. We can take the time to sort out our schoolwork, review what was learned, and get prepared for the week to come.

To be honest, competition, which is getting more and more fierce, is almost palpable in the air in the classroom. Most of us are working harder than before. For a better future, we have no choice but to value time. Nothing is wrong with relaxing at home, but good grades matter much more than having fun.

It is enough to rest for over half a day, in my humble opinion. Studying is our duty. Therefore, rather than giving yourself an easy time at home, please come and better your grades in the classroom.

Con

Stretching a string too tight too long will only break it. Likewise, an overloaded schedule will do nothing but kill a learner’s interest. Therefore, we need to get away from the depressing environment on Sunday to rest, refresh and recharge, don’t we?

Vacation has its role to play. As a rule of thumb, all work and no play maketh Jack a dull boy. Medical science proves that high-quality sleep contributes to sound health. A sound work-play balance ensures work efficiency and effectiveness. Overwork leads to boredom and hence wipes out curiosity. Although good grades are not necessarily a result of relaxing, relaxing moderately is a must for better learning.

Vacation can not only relieve pressure but also develop our ability to socialise, to become independent and more. We are virtually locked up in the school all week so that we are cut off from society and the real world. Some Tsinghua grads these days have trouble finding a job they are satisfied with. After summiting the education ladder, those so-called “star learners” wake up to the reality that even a high school teaching position in Shenzhen is beyond their reach. School education is like an important part of a machine. Without other components to support, it does not function at all. Good grades do not represent a whole life.

3 hours a week can hardly improve our grades dramatically. Rome was not built in a day. Why not let us rest, refresh and recharge at home on Sunday afternoon so that we are well set for a new week?