Homework rules begin new easier term

Eight new measures introduced to ease the burden on primary and middle school students in Beijing have been rolled out as the spring semester gets underway, Beijing Youth Daily reported Thursday.

At Chaoyang Experimental Primary School, students no longer have homework on mathematics as it is done online in 15 minutes at the end of class. 

Beijing No. 9 Middle School alternates the different types of daily homework for major subjects to reduce the amount of time needed for copying and reciting. Homework for minor subjects is now set on a monthly basis. 

Some primary schools have also assigned one day a week as “homework free day” to allow students more time to pursue their hobbies.

Besides banning mid-term examinations for primary school students, the eight measures also dictate that junior high schools keep class time below 34 hours a week and daily homework hours within one and a half hours. Paid remedial teaching and preference given to academic contest certificates at enrollment are also forbidden.