Zhuhai to enhance oversight of apps for education

The education bureau of Zhuhai, a city in Guangdong province's Pearl River Delta, has introduced policy measures to strengthen oversight of educational apps in schools, allowing only standardized ones for use.

This month, the bureau published "Ten Measures to Further Strengthen the Management of Educational Apps in Schools" on its official website. The guidelines require all schools, as well as teaching and research institutions in the city, to follow a strict selection and review process before adopting any educational apps.

Schools are prohibited from charging students or parents for the apps or recommending them arbitrarily, according to the document. In selecting apps, institutions must consider at least three alternatives of the same type. Additionally, app usage cannot be linked to students' credits, grades or evaluations.