A year that made the difference of a lifetime

You Chang, 28, shares her experience of setting off on a year's break and returning a better person.

Popularity of 1-year sabbatical break is growing worldwide

A commonly used and widely recognized definition of the "gap year" is that it's the year many young people - usually recent high school or university graduates - take off before continuing their studies at college or graduate school, or starting their working lives.

Timeout to learn a key lesson

Studies can be paused to give students chance to set up a business

Hybrid international school in Beijing combines best of East, West

With international schools in China long considered to be a privilege mainly for expatriate children, a new institute in Beijing expects to offer natives an equal opportunity to get a Western style education through a hybrid approach.

Educators switch on to new revenue stream

A physics teacher surnamed Zhang has been giving live online courses, and in one day can bring in as much as some teachers earn in a year. Each of his seven classes lasts one hour, and more than 9,400 students paid nine yuan ($1.40) each for classes. This means Zhang can earn 67,000 yuan after platform commissions. Teachers earning such eye-popping paychecks for online classes in subjects ranging from English to physics have stimulated a lively debate across China that touches on the power of internet instruction, the state of Chinese education and the ethics of entrepreneurship.

Action plan targets soil pollution

China released its third national action plan to curb pollution on Tuesday, this time targeting soil deterioration.

Sexually abusive guardians must lose rights, top court reiterates

The right to be a child's guardian must be removed whenever parents and guardians are found to have sexually abused minors, officials from China's top court said on Tuesday in response to a rise in such cases in recent years.

Beijing, Manila sharing goodwill

Beijing and Manila are on a goodwill drive as President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Philippine president-elect Rodrigo Duterte, and key figures from the incoming Manila administration expressed willingness to talk with China.

IN BRIEF (Page 5)

New mandatory textile standards for children's clothing to improve safety

China's first mandatory national textile standards for children - both infants and older children - will take effect on Wednesday, International Children's Day.

Making 'left-behind children' count

Late last year, Fan Juxiang made a life-changing decision. The 27-year-old migrant worker quit her job in Zhejiang province in East China, and made the 1,100-km journey home to Huarong, a village in the central province of Hunan, where she had left her 3-year-old son to be raised by his grandparents.

Too much, too young

When I met Zhai Meixiang in Beidouxi township in Hunan province, she was celebrating her 12th birthday with a group of school friends, who were all left-behind children and shared birthdays in May.