Deputies urge greater scrutiny of cram schools

More efforts are needed to regulate after-school training institutions and their use of teaching materials that are too advanced and complicated in core subjects such as Mandarin, math and English to reduce the academic burden on students, a national legislator said.

Yang Shanhong, head of the Anhui Provincial Educational Supervision and Guidance Office and a deputy to the National People's Congress, said one of the top priorities for work on educational supervision and guidelines this year is to reduce students' workload and regulate cram schools.

After-school training has become a large industry and too much afterschool training is causing unnecessary competition among students and placing great financial burdens on families, she said.