Beijing reactivates counseling hotline for students, parents

Beijing has reactivated its specialized 12355-6 psychological counseling hotline to support students and parents during China's college entrance examination period.

China's national college entrance exam, also known as gaokao, started on Saturday this year. And the academic test portion of the high school entrance exams, or zhongkao, are scheduled for June 24 and 25 in Beijing.

In the buzzing call center of Beijing's youth psychological service hotline, certified volunteers like Niu Yujie patiently fielded concerns and gave advice. A full-time psychology teacher by day, Niu has volunteered for five years.

Operating from 09:00 to 23:00 daily since May 26, the service has already handled 199 calls totaling over 4,000 minutes these days.

"When a 30-minute conversation helps restore someone's emotional balance, and they sincerely thank you, that's when I feel the real value of this work," she said.

Originally launched in 2023, the service has become an increasingly vital resource as educational pressures intensify. Entering the third year of operation, the hotline has 110 qualified counselors currently operating.

Caller demographics show 60 percent are parents and 40 percent students, with 65 percent seeking advice about gaokao and 35 percent about zhongkao.

About 60 percent of calls relate to test anxiety, including stress over scores, parental expectations and workload.

Xu Jing, deputy director of the rights department at Beijing Youth Service Center, emphasized the importance of emotional acceptance for parents. She advised that simple gestures like hugging children, patting them on the back, or reassuring them with phrases like "Mom/Dad is here" could significantly alleviate pressure during exam periods. Xu also cautioned parents against projecting their own anxieties onto their children, stressing the need to maintain emotional stability when supporting young examinees.

The hotline will continue serving students and families through July 2, providing crucial mental health support during one of China's most stressful academic periods.

Beijing reactivates counseling hotline for students, parents

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 710, including 149 deaths, the country's health ministry said Saturday, while dismissing social media rumors that a nationwide lockdown had been imposed in response to the outbreak.

The case fatality rate stood at 21.0 percent, according to figures released by the ministry. A total of 324 patients were in isolation or hospitalized, while 35 people had recovered.

The ministry said the government, together with provincial authorities, response partners and local communities, was continuing public health interventions aimed at breaking chains of transmission and protecting the population.

Response teams on the ground are carrying out epidemiological surveillance, patient care, contact tracing, targeted vaccination, risk communication and community engagement.

The ministry said no lockdown had been ordered in the affected areas and no such measure was under consideration, urging the public not to spread unverified information and to rely on official channels for updates.

In a disease outbreak update published Saturday, the World Health Organization said the outbreak in the DRC continued to evolve rapidly, with rising case numbers and geographic spread.

The reported case fatality rate was likely an underestimation, as many deaths that occurred before the outbreak was declared remain under investigation, the WHO added.

Ebola cases in DR Congo rise to 710 as authorities deny lockdown rumors