China enacts law to reduce homework

China This Saturday promulgated a law that limits extra-school assignments and courses, an initiative whose objective is to reduce the great pressure suffered by students, according to official media.

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In order to protect youth, the government has approved several paternalistic rules in recent months, in order to combat activities that it considers harmful to children’s development.

Previously, it had banned minors from video games for more than three hours a week to combat addiction, and drastically reduced the use of private tutoring.

In recent weeks, the government has also taken more ideological measures against celebrity idolatry, in particular with regard to television programs in which artists considered “vulgar” and “effeminate” participate.

Henceforth, the local authorities should “strengthen their supervision so that the burden of students in terms of extra-school tasks and courses is reduced,” the official Xinhua agency said, referring to the law approved this Saturday by Parliament.

“Parents (…) must reasonably distribute the time dedicated to studies, rest, entertainment and physical activity of minors so as not to increase their burden in terms of learning and avoid any addiction to the Internet,” the text states.

This law called as “promotion of family education” will take effect as of January 1, 2022.

China’s school system is very selective. The Chinese prepare from childhood to pass, at age 18, the university entrance test, which determines whether the student is able to access higher education and in which establishment.

In this context, many parents spend sheer fortunes to enroll their children in the best schools or take private lessons, which affects their finances and the health of their children.

Faced with an aging population, a side effect of decades of highly restrictive policies on birth control, China is now trying to reverse the trend and allow couples to have up to three children.

But the costs linked to education cause reluctance on the part of parents, so the authorities hope in this way to encourage them to procreate, trying above all to reduce the school load in various aspects.

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Deshawn