Tidbits: ‘Dual Alleviation’ in Chinese Education
By: James Caryl
Tags: Current Events, Chinese, Education, China

Grade 10 students at Qingpu Senior High School beaver away on their assignments. Photo by author

Anyone keeping up with recent developments in China has probably come across stories about the ‘dual alleviation’ policy recently introduced by the government.

In this Tidbits article, we’ll take a brief look at the new policy, why it’s being introduced and what it means for the education sector in China.

What is ‘dual alleviation’?

The 双减’政策 , or ‘Dual Alleviation Policy’ (more literally the ‘Double Reduction Policy’), is the title given to the latest wave of reform in the Chinese education sector. It was approved in May of this year.

It aims to achieve two main goals (hence the name):

Reduce the amount of homework that students are burdened with, particularly during the holiday periods. Reduce the amount of extracurricular tuition students receive in the core curricular subjects, such as English, Chinese and Mathematics.

Although the policy has already been approved, some of these changes will not enter effect until the new year. This includes disallowing private training centres to teach the aforementioned subjects.

Why is this policy being introduced now?

There are a number of factors that have influenced this policy. These shall be covered in brief, which means that some details will be skipped.

All work, no play — Chinese students have long been overburdened with homework. Combined with their long school days and extracurricular tuition (which is practically mandatory due to the competitiveness for high school and university placements), students rarely have time for anything other than study.

Population decline — since the introduction of the One-Child Policy, China has experienced lower birth rates, which is leading to a projected population decline before 2050. Although Chinese families have been permitted to have 2 children since 2015, and 3 since May of this year, many are reluctant to do so due to the high cost of supporting just one child. Extracurricular tuition is a major part of this financial burden.

The government thus seeks to encourage families to have more children by curtailing the amount of after-school tuition that parents will pay for.

Socioeconomic advantage — the competitiveness for high school and university placements in China cannot be understated. This is why most children are enrolled for after-school lessons by their parents. Better private tuition is available to those willing, and able, to pay more. Thus, families of a higher social and economic standing are able to essentially buy their children an advantage in schooling.

This issue is a common topic of debate in other countries as well, but it is compounded in China, since social equality is (supposedly) a cornerstone of the Party’s ideology. This policy, and others before it, seek to reduce this gap.

Control over curriculum — the Party has long been attempting to exert control over the material that is taught in private training centres through monitory and imposing restrictions/guidelines upon them.

However, it’s impossible for them to keep track of everything that goes on in these centres. Some of the English teachers are foreigners, and they may well end up discussing topics which are generally regarded as taboo in the mainstream.

By removing the possibility for students to study core subjects outside of the school environment, the Party is able to retain more control and oversight regarding what students are taught.

What are the effects of ‘dual alleviation’?

Firstly, to say that the value of the private education sector in China has ‘plummeted’ would be a gross understatement. Billions of dollars have been put at stake by the introduction of the policy.

Secondly, there’s the impact on people employed by these private education providers. The vast majority of foreigners take on positions with private training centres as English teachers. The new policy means that they will no longer be able to teach outside of public institutions.

As a personal example, a former colleague and good friend of mine from the UK, now in China for over 6 years, has had to give up his job (that he only got at the beginning of this year) and is currently seeking employment with a public school. My former supervisor is likewise looking to change positions, since her company will no longer offer courses in the subjects she specialises in.

If this doesn’t seem like a big deal, it most definitely is. Private tuition in China was a lucrative earner for foreigners and provided very reliable and stable employment (since you were always in demand). The public education sector, although offering some benefits, is largely a downgrade to lower pay and more restrictions on teaching style and curriculum.

Finally, the positive side: students will, hopefully, no longer be expected to spend so much of their time studying! Finally, they can be granted that much-needed time to hang out with friends, engage in other activities and develop hobbies, all of which had been greatly restricted by the burden of schoolwork.

Closing thoughts

How effective the measures of the Dual Alleviation Policy will be in reducing the pressure on students remains to be seen. The Ministry of Education has been attempting to alleviate pressure on school students for quite some time, but this is the most major effort so far.

The changes to the private education sector are concerning when it comes to employment for foreigners and Chinese tutors alike. Sure, there will be places in public institutions that they can apply for and continue with their careers there, but as mention, it means lower earnings and more restrictions on the teaching.

However, if the policy can indeed affect some positive change for students, that would be undeniably helpful. Chinese students really are due a break, and the time for them to be given opportunities for personal development and enjoyment outside of the classroom has long been overdue.

How do you feel about this? Are there any points that I missed here regarding the reasons for and effects of the Dual Alleviation Policy? Feel free to let me know!