Liu Bo attends a session of the political advisory body in Shenzhen. (Huo Jianbin / for China Daily)
A 14-year-old student from Shenzhen suggested that the government should step up educational reform when he took part in the annual meeting of the local political advisory body.
His appearance at the meeting attracted widespread attention and marked the first time that young people from the city in Guangdong province had been invited to the local "two sessions".
The meetings of the legislature and political advisory body began on Friday and are due to end on Thursday.
Liu Bo, a junior second-grade student at Shenzhen Experimental School, said the "two sessions" were different from other youth-related meetings he had attended, as they focused on social issues.
Liu, one of the 10 youth representatives attending the sessions, said taking part in the meetings made him consider social problems such as air pollution, urban construction and development.
As a representative of a student group, Liu said the current exam-oriented education system places students under great pressure.
He said students hoped that educational reforms could be continued, and that the shortcomings of the education system could be eliminated, with more emphasis placed on students' abilities and personal qualities.
An official at the China Communist Youth League's Shenzhen Committee, which is responsible for recommending youth representatives, said, "We are ... encouraging and guiding young people in the city to pay more attention to social development while, at the same time, making their voices heard."
Xiao Jihong, head administrator at Shenzhen Luohu Foreign Languages Junior School, said that allowing young people to take part in the "two sessions" was encouraging.
"It is a good opportunity for students to get to know more about society and to broaden their horizons," Xiao said. "It is also beneficial for cultivating their social responsibilities."
But he also said that junior high school students may be too young to develop mature thoughts on social issues.
Shenzhen is not the only Chinese city to invite young people to take part in political meetings.
In Zhuhai, another coastal city in Guangdong, 15 young people attended this year's local "two sessions" meetings and offered their advice and suggestions.
One representative proposed that a fund be set up at universities to help people with economic problems.
