Beijing district clamps down firmly on tutoring companies

A district in Beijing has banned all tutoring companies from conducting curriculum-based training for primary and middle school students as of Oct 1.

The Beijing Economic Technological Development Area said in a news release on Friday that curriculum-based tutoring companies have about a month to offer remaining courses to students, between 5:30 and 8:30 pm on weekdays only.

Companies must offer refunds for any courses outstanding after Oct 1 and begin to move operations into other domains, the release said.

Local authorities must stop approving any new tutoring companies offering curriculum-based training for primary and middle school students, and there should be no companies of the kind operating in the area by the end of this year.

The district's policy is stricter than that of central authorities. A recent guideline, jointly issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, said curriculum-based tutoring institutions are not permitted to offer courses on weekends, national holidays or during winter and summer vacations.

Known as the "double reduction", the guideline aims to "effectively reduce" the excessive homework and after-school tutoring burden on students within a year, and achieve "significant outcomes" within three years.