China’s authorities have put a ban on private tutoring, dealing a heavy blow to the private tutoring sector worth $120 billion. On July 24, Chinese regulators published reforms that will fundamentally alter the business model of private firms teaching the school curriculum. Beijing hopes to overhaul the sector it believes has been taken over by capitalism.
Chinese State Council and the Communist Party’s Central Committee banned most paid, after-school sessions.
The regulators have said that no new licences for private tutoring centres would be granted. When most public schools are shut from July to August, is when the tutoring and cramming for examinations take place. Firms teaching school curriculum for profit, raising capital or going public will be banned.
The crackdown on the private tutoring sector seems to be a way to try and reduce the cost burden on parents, which had caused birth rates to drop.
The existing operations will face tougher reviews and their programs will need to be approved by the government and would need to be regulated as non-profit entities. Classes cannot be offered during summer or winter holidays or national holidays. According to the state’s mouthpiece Xinhua news agency, the move by President Xi Jinping aims at unburdening children from homework and give them more time to play and exercise. Parents often end up paying high fees to private tutors to help their children ace exams. Under the new provision, a public school teacher, if found to be tutoring at a private learning centre, could be fired or have their qualification revoked.
