A child in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, learns to ski. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xuetao
Xinhua News Agency, Taiyuan, 19 January Title: China's children and teenagers ushered in the first happy winter vacation after the "double reduction" period
Xinhua News Agency reporters Lu Mengqi, Wang Xuetao and Zhang Wenjing
Chinese primary and secondary school students have successively ushered in the first winter vacation after the implementation of the "double reduction" policy. Unlike in the past, this time, the children are no longer drowned in the "sea of questions" and tutoring classes.
A few days ago, Chang Xinyue, a sixth-grade primary school student living in Taiyuan, Shanxi, ended her exam at the end of the winter vacation. The 12-year-old girl said that this year's winter vacation is too cool, there is no homework and tutoring classes, teachers no longer publish final exam results, she can use the holiday to cultivate her interest.
"Since I was in elementary school, there has never been a holiday as easy as this year's winter vacation." She said.
Lu Yuxin, a sixth-grade student at Bayi Primary School in Xiaodian District, Taiyuan City, practices figure skating broadcast gymnastics. (Courtesy of respondents)
The Chinese government realized that the burden on primary and secondary school students was too heavy and was not conducive to their healthy growth, so it decided to change this situation.
In July last year, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Further Reducing the Homework Burden and The Burden of Off-campus Training for Students in the Compulsory Education Stage, and the "double reduction" policy was implemented, which brought about a series of changes in China's basic education.
"The 'double subtraction' policy allows children to be separated from heavy schoolwork and cultivate their comprehensive abilities more." Ma Huiqin, head of the basic education section of the Taiyuan Municipal Education Bureau in Shanxi Province, said.
Chen Yimo, a first-grade student at Bayi Primary School in Xiaodian District, Taiyuan City, is making the Winter Paralympic Mascot, Xue Rongrong. (Courtesy of respondents)
This change is very obvious in Chang Xinyue.
Although she is no longer busy with homework and tutoring classes, she has developed a winter vacation schedule. Insist on studying for 3 hours a day, and the rest of the time read your favorite Harry Potter, play Go, exercise, etc.
"It is clear that the child's initiative and self-management ability have improved. Before, my daughter came back from tutoring class and was so tired that she didn't want to do anything. Chang Xinyue's mother said.
To ensure that children have a happy winter vacation, China's education departments at all levels have taken measures to ensure that the "double reduction" policy is not discounted. On January 6, the General Office of the Ministry of Education issued the "Notice on Conscientiously Doing a Good Job in the "Double Reduction" Work During the Winter Vacation", requiring schools to strictly control the total amount of written homework during the winter vacation, encourage the assignment of exploratory and practical homework, and guide students to adhere to regular work and rest, exercise healthy physique, cultivate extensive interests, participate in social practice, and share housework during the winter vacation.
Under the "double reduction" policy, the form of operation is changing.
Primary school students in the first and second grades of the Lanzhou Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences received a winter vacation "moral education homework". Children can be a happy "sports master" according to their own preferences, or "creative little master", "all-round little butler", "happy little doctor" and so on.
Zhang Runying, a second-grade student at Bayi Primary School in Xiaodian District, Taiyuan City, is making an ice pier for the Winter Olympics mascot. (Courtesy of respondents)
The upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics will integrate the elements of the "Winter Olympics" into winter vacation life. Xu Haoxin, a second-grade student at Taiyuan Bayi Primary School, said: "I will learn about the Winter Olympics during the holidays, learn to sing Winter Olympic songs, watch the Winter Olympics with my parents and mother, choose a favorite project, and use the data to count the awards of various countries." ”
Chinese parents are paying more and more attention to the cultivation of their children's comprehensive quality. In the past, the winter vacation was the "golden period" of subject training, and now subject training is prohibited during the winter vacation, and art and sports projects are sought after.
In Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, Li Siqi, who is in the third grade of primary school, did not report any subject tutoring classes this winter vacation. He plans to spend most of his time reading and participating in physical exercises.
"Swimming and football are my son's favorite sports, and since he is interested, we try to create conditions for children to do what he likes and grow up happily." Li Siqi's mother said.
A series of changes brought about by the "double reduction" are reshaping the parenting concept of Chinese parents, and educational anxiety is gradually alleviated.
Bai Xiaojing, a parent of a student in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, said that in the past winter vacation, she reported a lot of training classes to her children, making learning like "rushing the field", adults and children are tired, the learning effect is not good, and it also destroys the parent-child relationship.
"After the implementation of the 'double reduction' policy, the general environment is changing, which makes parents also begin to reflect on whether the previous education method is appropriate." Simply learn less, learn a little better, and give your child a happy vacation. She said.
Two elementary school students in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, skiing. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Xuetao
Psychological experts believe that the "double reduction" policy will help improve the parent-child relationship and promote the healthy development of children's physical and mental health.
Without the tug-of-war and contradictions brought about by high-intensity homework and tutoring classes, Jiang Huixia, a parent of students, found that her relationship with her daughter became more harmonious. She and her daughter read books, watch movies, and do housework, giving their children more high-quality companionship. Such a change is one of China's goals in advocating the balanced development of home-school co-education and compulsory education.
Since the implementation of the "double reduction" for half a year, the effect has continued to appear. For Chinese children, this is the beginning of happy learning.
According to the monitoring situation released by the Ministry of Education at a press conference on December 21 last year, the number of discipline-based off-campus training institutions has been greatly reduced, and the reduction of offline and online off-campus training institutions has been 83.8% and 84.1% respectively. The proportion of students who completed written work within the stipulated time increased from 46% before the "double reduction" to more than 90%. The proportion of students participating in after-school services increased from 49.1% in the previous semester to 91.9%, which effectively promoted the return of students' learning to campus.
Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences, said that this winter vacation has both the Spring Festival and the Winter Olympics, which is a good time for emotional exchanges between relatives and friends, and parents should arrange for their children to participate more in society and get close to nature, focusing on cultivating children's autonomy and promoting emotional development. (Contributors: Chen Shangying, Xie Yuan)