New guideline set to reduce homework, tutoring burden on students

China's central authorities have issued a new guideline to significantly reduce the excessive burden of homework and after-school tutoring for students in primary and middle schools within three years.

The guideline, jointly issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, was released on Saturday. It bans local authorities from approving any new tutoring institutions for academic course training.

All existing curriculum-based tutoring institutions are required to register as non-profit organizations and they are barred from raising money from the public or other capital-related activities, the guideline said, adding that listed companies are also prohibited from investing in such institutions.

They are not allowed to teach foreign subjects or content too advanced for the school curriculum, it said.

Tutoring institutions cannot conduct training on weekends, national holidays or winter and summer vacations, the guideline said.

In a separate explanation issued by the Ministry of Education, the ministry said that after the curriculum-based tutoring institutions are registered as non-profit organizations, local governments should set out the standard for course fees they can charge.

The new guideline will be implemented in nine cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and gradually be rolled out nationwide.

The guideline also required primary and middle schools to reduce the amount and the difficulty of homework and offer after-school service with activities, including homework tutoring, sports, arts, reading and interest groups.

Local governments also should gradually increase the enrollment quota of good high schools from students in ordinary middle schools and eliminate the rate race for the high school entrance exam.