Commentary on the Need to Alleviate Students’ Burdens〔1〕 (July 3, 1965) Comrade Lu Dingyi〔2〕: The academic burden on students is too heavy, which harms their health and renders their studies largely futile. I propose that one-third be cut from the total volume of all activities. Please invite representatives of the school’s faculty and students to hold several discussions and then make a decision on implementation. Please consider how best to proceed. Mao Zedong July 3, 1965 Printed from the manuscript. Included in Chairman Mao on the Educational Revolution, published by the People’s Publishing House in 1967.

Notes 〔1〕 This commentary was written on an article titled “Overly Tense Lives and Declining Health Among Students in a Class at Beijing Normal University,” which appeared in the eighteenth issue of the supplementary edition of “The Situation within the Youth League,” compiled and printed by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League on June 25, 1965. The article stated that, according to reports from the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Youth League, a recent survey of a second-year class in the History Department of Beijing Normal College had revealed that students’ physical health was being seriously undermined by an excessive academic workload, excessive physical exercise, and numerous extracurricular activities. 〔〕 Lu Dingyi was at the time Minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, Head of the Central Cultural and Educational Leading Group, and Vice Premier of the State Council.