China primary school bans homework after 9.30pm with no penalty for unfinished assignments, sparks heated online debate
- Move follows passing of new education law in 2021 aimed at achieving school-life balance
- Notice of new policy circulates online, kicks off discussion among parents
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A primary school in China has banned homework after 9.30pm and decided not to punish students who do not finish assignments, sparking fierce debate on mainland social media.
The Nanning Guiya Primary School in Guangxi province, southern China, has taken steps to ease pressure on students by ensuring they do not study when they should be resting, Toutiao News reported.
On March 27, the school announced on its WeChat account that it wanted to lighten the overwhelming academic load children carry.
The move follows the 2021 passing of a new law in China which aimed to reduce the “twin pressures” of homework and off-site tutoring in core subjects.
It places responsibility on local governments and schools to ensure pressures are eased, and asked parents to arrange their children’s time to incorporate reasonable rest and exercise.
“No homework for students after 9.30pm every night, and those who have not completed theirs will not be criticised by teachers. Let’s protect the health of our children,” the school said in a notice.
The WeChat announcement quickly circulated online and kicked off an online debate.
One mother, whose daughter attends the school, said it will not affect her child because her workload is light and she usually finishes by 8pm.
Another mother, with a son aged 8, thought the fierce competition and academic stress when entering secondary school would make the initiative difficult to carry out.
The father of another student said the initiative, though well-intentioned, would cause trouble for children and parents. He said his daughter has struggled with homework overload in recent years.
“The latest she has completed her homework is 11.45pm,” he said.
What concerns him most is how poorly performing students will be able to catch up with their studies.
He also wonders how the school proposes to provide support for parents to help children finish their homework before 9.30pm.
The story has divided opinion on mainland social media.
“It’s a great initiative,” one person said.
“It sounds like the school is transferring the pressure to parents,” said another.
This school is not the first to launch the initiative.
In 2023, the city of Ningbo in Zhejiang province, eastern China, banned homework for primary schoolchildren after 9pm.
China’s highly competitive education system means pressure is put on parents who feel they must push their children to study hard to secure their future.
Many parents have high expectations that fail to take into account a child’s academic strengths and weaknesses, leading to conflict.
