ACTION TAKEN TO EASE BURDEN ON STUDENTS

Guideline aims to reduce homework, after-school tutoring pressure

Zhao Yingying was deeply relieved when he learned that his daughter, a fifth-grade student in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, no longer had to take after-school tutoring courses each week.

Due to peer pressure from her classmates, the girl used to take courses in Chinese language, math and English on the weekends, Zhao said.

Such courses are often expensive and time- and energy-consuming, Zhao said. They trigger anxiety and problems can arise when enrolling for the most popular courses that promise good grades, but are usually the source of family tensions and arguments, he added.