The autumn semester is approaching, and Ms. Lu, who lives in Beijing, has begun to pay attention to information about off-campus institutions. She found that some "personalized learning" online was actually subject training, so she decided to enroll her daughter in her second year of high school. "The college entrance examination will be next year. How can I not work hard now?" Ms. Lu told the reporter of "Legal Person".
1 year ago in the summer vacation of 2021, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Interpretations on Further Reducing the Homework Burden of Students in Compulsory Education and Off-campus Training Burden of Students in Compulsory Education" (i.e. the " Double Reduction " Policy), prohibiting off-campus institutions from using rest days, statutory holidays and winter and summer vacations to organize subject training. Subsequently, many places successively introduced local policies. Starting from the fall semester of 2021, large-scale law enforcement and investigation of subject training in primary and secondary schools will be carried out in many places across the country.
In February 2022, the Ministry of Education released the key points of work for 2022, clarifying that subject training in high school is strictly implemented in accordance with the compulsory education stage. On the eve of the summer vacation, the General Office of the Ministry of Education issued the "Notice on Doing a Good Job in the Management of Off-campus Training in 2022", requiring strict prevention of illegal opening of classes in subject-based training institutions, and increased inspections and supervision and investigations and punishments.
However, during the interview, the reporter found that there are still subject training classes hidden in various forms.
"Repeat class" gives training a place to live
"We are full-time repeat school . There are some college entrance examination repeat classes every year. Teachers can also teach one-on-one, but don't say it." When the reporter consulted an off-campus institution in Haidian District, Beijing for the autumn semester high school English training course, he received the above reply from the institution's teacher surnamed Tao.
Teacher Tao told reporters that there are more than a dozen recurring classes in the institution every year, and the "personalized one-on-one" students are a minority. "We have not been investigated for a summer vacation, and teaching will definitely not be disturbed."
The subject training hidden in the recurring institutions is not an isolated case. Another off-campus institution's official website also provided " personalized teaching " under the banner of repeating the senior year of high school. Teacher Zhao, who claims to be the person in charge of admissions, told reporters that in addition to the re-education classes, the institution also has one-on-one tutoring. "The teachers who teach one-on-one can teach re-education classes at the same time, and some can only teach one-on-one." The reporter asked to go to the campus to see the teaching environment. Teacher Zhao said that he needed to call him downstairs and someone could answer it before he could go upstairs.
The reporter came downstairs of the institution and saw that there was an art school on the same floor as him. When a staff member saw that the reporter was about to go upstairs, he said that he needed to make an appointment to go to the third floor. If no one contacted him, he would not be allowed to go upstairs.
Non-instructable training institutions (photo by Yinxin)
In addition to being invisible in repetition institutions, some off-campus institutions also claim to have official endorsements from competent departments. "We are an institution certified by the education department, and teaching high school children is fully compliant." An enrollment teacher surnamed Xiao from an off-campus institution told reporters that national policies and regulations are only for compulsory education. High school education does not belong to compulsory education. As long as you obtain certification in the education department, teaching can be guaranteed.
The reporter asked the Haidian District Education Commission about whether there is an institution that can provide subject training for high school students. On September 9, the head of the Haidian District Education Commission replied to reporters that the Haidian District Education Commission did authorize some institutions to allow the organization of subject training in high school, but the institution is a "black institution". "It is only a market entity registered with Industrial and Commercial Bureau . The Haidian District Education Commission has not even applied for off-campus training qualifications, nor has it the qualifications to organize subject training."
It is worth noting that the national "double reduction" policy and Beijing's "double reduction" policy clearly stipulate: the management of subject training institutions for ordinary high school students shall be implemented in accordance with the relevant provisions of this opinion.
"White List" institutions have non-compliance
reporter learned from the Dongcheng District Education Commission of Beijing that after the implementation of the "double reduction" policy, Beijing Municipal Education Commission announced two "whitelists" of off-campus subject institutions in the second half of 2021 and early 2022 respectively, that is, the list of off-campus subject training institutions registered with the Beijing Municipal Education Commission. There are more than 150 offline institutions on the "list" announced in September 2021, and 10 online institutions on the "list" announced in January 2022.
A person in charge of the Dongcheng District Education Commission told reporters that the online institutions are managed by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, while the offline institutions are managed by the Education Commission of each district. "All institutions that are not on the 'whitelist' are illegal institutions, but institutions that are on the 'whitelist' cannot arrange their own training time. They must conduct teaching within the training time stipulated in the 'double reduction' policy."
According to the Beijing "double reduction" policy, offline training time for off-campus training institutions shall not be later than 20:30, online training time shall not be later than 21:00, and subject training shall not be conducted on rest days, statutory holidays and winter and summer vacations. This means that even off-campus institutions on the "whitelist" must conduct training in accordance with the prescribed subjects, otherwise they will still be deemed to be incompatible with the "double reduction" policy provisions.
A person in charge of the Xicheng District Education Commission told reporters that not long ago, an off-campus institution in Xicheng District was temporarily disqualified for illegal training. "This institution is within the 'whitelist', but the training is still suspended."
However, during the undercover investigation, the reporter found that the off-campus institution mentioned above, whether it is on the "whitelist" or not, the training time is basically not on weekdays, but on holidays, winter and summer vacations and statutory holidays. In other words, subject training that does not meet the "double reduction" regulations still exists.
Subject training has been transferred to "underground"
Since the implementation of the "double reduction" policy, the number of off-campus institutions has decreased significantly. Data released by the Ministry of Education’s Off-campus Education and Training Supervision Department shows that as of February 2022, the number of offline off-campus training institutions decreased to 9,728, a decrease of more than 90%; the number of original 263 online off-campus training institutions decreased to 34, a decrease of nearly 90%.
Recently, many places have released the results achieved in the past year of implementation of the "double reduction" policy. As of May 30, Fujian Province has investigated a total of 1,424 off-campus training institutions. In 2022, the market supervision system in Heilongjiang Province investigated and dealt with 845 illegal training institutions without a license. Since the summer vacation of 2022, Hunan Province has rectified 530 violations of qualified training institutions, banned 469 unlicensed training institutions, and investigated and dealt with 103 underground illegal training cases such as "one-on-one".
However, through the "look back" work of subject-based off-campus training governance deployed on the eve of the summer vacation, it was found that some subject-based training was transferred to "underground", and some institutions and individuals carried out subject-based training for primary and secondary school students under the banner of "one-on-one" and "thinking training", or advanced education for preschool children.
During the summer vacation of 2022, Ms. Lu joined a subject training WeChat group through the admission notice posted in the community to consult her daughter about the English training class. "This class was run by some teachers in private. The group was disbanded soon, and the underground training class was also investigated and punished." Ms. Lu told reporters.
During the interview, the reporter found that many parents are on the side of off-campus institutions.
After Ms. Lu’s introduction, the reporter interviewed Mr. Zhao, a parent of a student who had participated in the “underground training class”. He told reporters that during the training class, off-campus institutions and parents were obviously from the same camp, and they all hoped to hide the law enforcement officers, and "deeply hated" the hidden investigators who provided clues. "Although this training class was quickly investigated, there are many parents who are on par with off-campus institutions." Mr. Zhao said that these parents are worried that other students will lose their children in the competition through "secret channels".
Admissions notice posted in a community in Xuelu Street, Haidian District. (Photo by Yinxin)
Ms. Lu told reporters that training classes are difficult to escape the eyes of law enforcement officers. "So many buildings have posted admission notices, which can be seen by students and law enforcement officers."
"Now there are many secretly conducted off-campus training, and there will be satisfaction if there is a need. No matter how you investigate and deal with it, it will not be cleaned up." Mr. Zhao said.
There are also students and parents who have different opinions. "I firmly support national policies and post small advertisements. If I find it, it will be reflected together." said Ms. Li, who lives in Chaoyang District, Beijing. Ms. Li's child is in the first grade of junior high school. After the "double reduction", the school's control over students has improved. Students can ask teachers to answer questions during the after-school service period to check for omissions. The time for students to stay in school has not been shortened, but has been extended. All problems are solved on campus. Parents do not always want to sign up for classes. "There is no need to secretly pay attention to which class other students have signed up for. They have not signed up for them." Ms. Li said.
urgently needs to establish a unified standard and certification system
If off-campus institutions fully operate in compliance, they must cancel all subject training during winter and summer vacations, rest days and national statutory holidays. After 9:00 on the working day, they cannot engage in online or offline subject training. "But in this way, there will be no business to do in off-campus institutions." Mr. Wang, the head of public relations at a certain off-campus institutions, told reporters.
For subject training in high school, Mr. Wang believes that since the policy clearly states that off-campus institutions for ordinary high school students will implement the "double reduction" policy in accordance with the "double reduction" policy, it means that subject training in high school will not become a "outside law".
The only thing that can survive in compliance is the repeat class. The reporter learned that the "double reduction" policy does not mention the repetition class of the senior high school. However, the existence of repeat classes also gives subject training a hidden place to live.
Member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Vice President of the Chinese Society of Education, and Dean of the National Institute of Education Governance of Central China Normal University Zhou Hongyu During the 2022 Two Sessions, the "Regulations on the Management of Off-campus Education and Training" was proposed as soon as possible. Zhou Hongyu believes that complete legislation is a strong foundation for law enforcement work, and promoting the supervision of off-campus education and training is of great significance to deepening the implementation of the "double reduction" policy and governing off-campus education and training institutions in accordance with the law.
It is undeniable that there are currently many types of off-campus institutions, and there is no unified teaching service quality supervision system and clear standard requirements. In addition to laws and regulations, off-campus institutions urgently need to establish a unified industry standard and certification system.
Source: Legal Daily WeChat official account
Author: All-media reporter of "Legal Person" magazine Yinxin
Editor: Ren Zhe
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