The Reduction in Off-Campus Subject-Based Training Providers and Student School Hours: An Evaluation Study of the Double Reduction Policy

Abstract

There is a consensus among Chinese families that education is critical to the future success of their children. The parents begin enrolling them in a variety of supplementary tutoring and training programs when they are still low graders in order for them to excel in academic performance. As a result, children in China must not only study the demanding in-school curriculum but also suffer the burden of out-of-school training, which severely drains their time and energy. To alleviate the pressure on students and their families, the Chinese government released the Double Reduction policy, with the regulation of the off-campus training market being one of its primary targets. This study is an investigation of the effect of the policy on the reduction in off-campus subject-based training providers and impact of the supplementary tutoring service cuts on student school hours, using the data of a large-scale sample from an internet-based survey.