Video cameras are everywhere: schools, theaters and stores. But in recent years, they have entered our homes. Many parents set up cameras at home to watch their children’s online classes and homework. Are cameras really helpful? What do students think about it? We invited two students to share their thoughts.

Luo Yuzhe, 15, Gansu

When I was in Junior 2, I liked to lie in bed and watch videos instead of studying. This affected my studies and made my grades worse. So my parents set up a camera to keep an eye on me.

It worked. With the camera watching, I had to do my homework first and make plans for studying at home. When I was alone at home, the camera made me feel safe because I knew that my parents were watching on the other side. My grades improved after a year.

Zhao Xin, 15, Beijing

Earlier this year, my parents set up a camera in my room. I really didn’t like it because I felt like there were always eyes watching me. I felt so uncomfortable that I couldn’t sleep well at night.

Knowing there was a camera around, when my friends came to my home, they would speak quietly and carefully. We couldn’t have pillow fights. I was sad. So I asked my parents to take the camera away. They agreed it as long as I promised to behave well. I feel happy and free now.

Zhang Guimei is the headmaster of Lijiang Huaping High School, which lies in Yunnan Province and was set up for girls. She has been granted the title “Role Models of the Times” because of her contribution to the education for girls from poor families. In 2020, most students in this high school went to universities. This will never have happened without Zhang.

In 2001, she found that many girls living in the mountain had little education. She wanted to build a free school for them. Between 2003 and 2007, she tried to raise money for the school. However, the money she raised was far from enough to build a school. In 2007, she went to 17th CPC National Congress (中国共产党代表大会) . At the Congress, her story was reported. People across the country knew what she did and her dream to start a free school for girls. With the help of the government, the school was founded in 2008.

Zhang is very strict with her students. At 5: 20 a. m. , she wakes the students up. They have only 10 minutes to finish lunch. They are allowed to spend three hours a week outside the school. During the past years, over 1600 girls from the school got higher education. “It is my greatest happiness to change at least one generation through education”, Zhang said.