"It's still a fledging sector and not a well-respected career. The starting salary is not very attractive, and it's frustrating that a social worker with 10 years' experience earns little more than a rookie."

Wang Tianzi, a social worker at Peking University Sixth Hospital, commenting on the country's lack of social workers on August 25

"It is natural to see more people pursuing multiple options in education to meet the needs of their children since each is unique."

Yuan Fangyan, a researcher from the 21st Century Education Research Institute, in response to its survey issued on August 24 showing that about 18,000 children on the Chinese mainland now receive their education at home

"More social and economic policies favoring girls will be introduced to gradually adjust the social norm, where males are preferred as they carry the family name and later support their parents."

Chen Zhu, Vice Chairman of the 12th National People's Congress Standing Committee, commenting on a long-term skewed sex ratio of births on the mainland, which now stands at about 117.7 boys for every 100 girls

"Reporting on acts of extreme violence is a double-edged sword because cases may spark copycat attacks by people with psychological problems, but at the same time, the public needs to be informed of such events."

Ma Ai, a professor of criminal psychology at China University of Political Science and Law, on August 26