China to regulate pricing for curriculum-subject tutoring

BEIJING -- China is to adopt a government-guided pricing mechanism for off-campus curriculum-subject tutoring services for students at the stage of compulsory education, the country's top economic planner said Monday.

As institutions offering such services are categorized as non-profit organizations, the government will set the basic fee standards and floating range for both online and off-line classes, according to a circular released by the National Development and Reform Commission.

The commission urged local authorities to set reasonable pricing standards, taking into account the local economic development level and affordability for families.

The move follows an order by China's central authority that off-campus training institutions should come under comprehensive management, including a tougher crackdown on unqualified operations, false advertising, profiteering and improper connections with schools.

Organizations are to stop operating off-campus training programs if those programs have not obtained approval from the relevant authorities, according to a circular from the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) released last month.

Local authorities need to team up with education and market regulators and help existing off-campus training centers that operate academic tutoring services to register as non-profit institutions, the MCA said.