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hang Lihui started his private
tutoring agency in August “
Z2018 after working as a private
tutor for three years. But his business I used to have 400 people working for me,
has been badly affected by a govern-
ment policy introduced in July. and now I have to cut 20 per cent of them.
“I used to have 400 people work-
ing for me, and now I have to cut 20 Half of my students left, and I have to re-
per cent of them. Half of my students fund all the fees to parents, which puts me
left, and I have to refund all the fees to
parents, which puts me under finan- under financial pressure.
cial pressure,” the 38-year-old private
tutoring agency founder says.
Zhang’s agency has six branches
offering courses that cover all sub- ”
jects taught in primary and middle
schools such as Mathematics, English, reducing homework and restricting summer and winter breaks. Tutoring
Physics, Chemistry and so on during off-campus tutoring for students from is only allowed on weekdays with a
weekdays, weekends, and holidays. kindergarten to 12th grade or K-12 in limited number of hours.
His business has been severely hit July. A government guide was also is-
since the Chinese government rolled One of the policy measures bans sued to regulate tuition fees of courses
out a set of measures known as the private tutoring agencies to offer after- for students undergoing compulsory
“double reduction”, which aimed at school classes on weekends, holidays, education in China.
Zhang says the policy is killing
their business. “It is impossible to op-
erate if we follow the official guide on
tuition fee charges. We cannot make
any profit,” he says.

“

Even big com-

panies like Xin-

dongfang (New

Oriental Educa-

tion & Technology

Group) cannot

escape.

Chinese authorities have introduced a set of guidelines to ease the
burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for stu-
dents undergoing compulsory education. ”