China’s Implementation of ‘Double Reduction’ Indicates Political Infighting: Analyst

Students study outdoors at a countryside primary school on May 22, 2007 in Huxian County of Shaanxi Province, China. Class is held outdoors for safety due to the schoolhouse being in danger of collapsing. In some rural areas of China, education still faces a lack of funding, good teachers, and stable facilities. Photo by China Photos/Getty Images

On July 24, the General Office of the Central Committee of the CCP and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the “Opinions on Improving and Reducing the Burden of Students’ Homework and Off-campus Training in Compulsory Education (Opinions),” which was effective immediately.

The Opinions explicitly put forward the “double reduction” policy, that is, reducing the students’  burdens of homework and off-campus training. The Opinions stated that no public financing of subject-based training institutions is allowed, no new subject-based training institution is approved, and existing subject-based training institutions at the compulsory education stage should register as non-profit.