China adopts new law on family education promotion

Chinese lawmakers on Saturday voted to adopt a new law on family education promotion at a session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

The law stipulates that parents or other guardians of minors shall be responsible for family education, while the state, schools and society provide guidance, support and services for family education.

In response to the country's drive to ease academic workload of young students, the law requires local governments at or above the county level to take steps to reduce the burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring in compulsory education.

The law bans parents from placing an excessive academic burden on their children, stating the guardians of minors should appropriately organize children's time for study, rest, recreation and physical exercise.

Parents are also required to play their part in preventing their children from being addicted to the internet.

Pinning high hopes on their children, a large number of Chinese parents would bend over backward to help their kids succeed. They are willing to fork out 200 yuan (about $31) or more for a 45-minute tutoring class to help children score high in tests.

Weighed down by workload, Chinese students are facing increasing incidence of myopia, more sleep deprivation and poor fitness that worry many.

To address growing concerns over children's growth, China has initiated an education overhaul across the country.

A set of guidelines issued in July called on schools to recalibrate homework assignments, improve classroom teaching and develop after-class services to meet students' individualized demands.

At the same time, the document strengthened regulations regarding off-campus institutions, stopping approval of new off-campus, curriculum subject-tutoring institutions for students receiving compulsory education.