Date of Award

2-23-2023

Publication Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.Ed.

Keywords

Parents' attitudes, Double-reduction policy, China, Educational pressure, Education system, Extracurricular tutoring programs

Supervisor

Z.Zhang

Supervisor

C.Smith

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

In 2021, the “Double-Reduction” Policy was the most significant change in China’s education sphere. This policy and related actions banned extracurricular tutoring to reduce educational pressure for parents and students. However, considering the Chinese tradition of emphasizing education, the current education system, and repeated policies on “releasing students from heavy learning burden” in China, this policy may not fully reach the promised purpose – reducing the educational pressure on parents and their children. This research examined parents’ experiences and attitudes toward China’s shadow education. The data were collected when the “Double-Reduction” policy had been implemented for one semester – at the end of the Autumn semester of 2021, by conducting one-on-one interviews with nine parents of primary school students in Huairou District, Beijing. Findings show that parents from different educational backgrounds enrolled their children in extracurricular tutoring programs for different reasons. Even though all the participants agreed with the idea of releasing children from heavy learning burdens, they had different opinions toward the “Double-Reduction” Policy.

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