Students attend a calligraphy tutoring class as a daycare service during summer vacation provided by Xiaobeilu Primary School in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong province, July 19, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]

Starting from this fall semester, primary and junior middle schools under China's nine-year free compulsory education system will provide students with after school programs every day.

The extra hours at school will be used to either help students finish their homework or carry out extracurricular activities based on students' interests, said a circular issued by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in June.

According to the circular, schools should provide additional day care services for students with special needs and reduce the burden on parents in case of late pick-up.

The move is part of China's recent efforts to ease the burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for students undergoing compulsory education.

While the policy has been widely welcomed by working parents, some worried that such services may end up becoming tutoring sessions and increase the academic pressure on students by extending school time.

In response, the MOE specified that teachers shall not provide new academic content during after-school programs. It states that more focus should be put on carrying out diverse extracurricular activities related to art, physical education, and other student societies.

The MOE also requires every compulsory education institution in the country to make plans based on their own actual conditions and ensure that relevant services respect the will of not only students, but also parents and teachers.

As the upcoming nationwide after-school service will inevitably increase the working hours of teachers, the MOE encouraged schools to hire retired teachers and volunteers and make use of resources from communities, science museums, art galleries, and high-tech enterprises.

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