Youths head home after defying study ban

More than 100 students, who spent a week of their Spring Festival holiday studying math, physics and chemistry, enter the waiting room at Beijing West Railway Station on Jan 19, 2012.
The Handan No 1 High School in North China's Hebei province defied a local government regulation forbidding schools to organize competition-oriented training courses in the province during the holidays and organized for its students to travel to Beijing for the week-long training program.
They boarded train T5679 to travel the 442 kilometers back to Handan after completing the course.
Handan No 1 High School chose to organize the cross-province course to get round the provincial rule which did not want to burden students. The youngsters were forced by their parents to attend the training classes, hoping to get a high score in various math, physics and chemistry competitions so as to get an edge when entering a higher school or college.

Most students from Handan No 1 High School in North China's Hebei province had to sit on the stairs or stand overnight on the train due to failing to buy the seat tickets. [Photo/CFP]