Beijing bans preschool learning apps as crackdown on private tutoring continues
- The official regulation is the latest move by Chinese authorities to reduce screen time and addiction to smartphones among kids
- Rule is likely to be followed elsewhere in China as many officials now take the view that online learning does more harm than good for kids
The Beijing city government will no longer accept applications to launch new education apps for preschool children and will remove existing ones, as China’s crackdown on private tutoring continues.
The official regulation is the latest move by Chinese authorities to reduce screen time and addiction to smartphones among kids, which is seen by the government as a social problem that must be tackled. Learn-and-play apps aimed at toddlers have been popular in the country, with many private tutoring institutions developing apps targeted at this segment.
Although Beijing’s latest policy is currently a city-level order, it is likely to be followed elsewhere in China as many officials now take the view that online learning does more harm than good for young children, said Xiong Bingqi, head of the Beijing-based 21st Century Education Research Centre, in February when the draft regulation was issued.