Introducing initiatives to alleviate the academic burden on pupils does not mean cutting schoolwork or pressure. Rather, it points to giving pupils greater autonomy to learn by themselves. These initiatives came as a direct response to a rote learning regime where colossal amounts of repetitive schoolwork occupied almost all after-school time, leaving little time or opportunity for creativity and independent thinking to shine through. It is important now to improve teaching skills and teacher quality through better training.

Schools should develop more diversified courses for pupils to choose from, and create a constructive learning environment where pupils’ curiosity and imagination are stimulated, and where they can challenge their teachers and explore knowledge through group learning. Teachers should shift their focus from simply trying to get good grades from students, to ensuring a positive learning process.

Teachers should harness the power of big data to gain clearer insight about how their students mature, knowledge literacy and cognitive competence in order to adapt teaching solutions to individual needs. Schools and educational authorities should develop a burden monitoring and forecast model to track academic pressure on students.

(Dai Liyi, CPPCC member, Vice Chair of the Shanghai Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, and Vice President of East China Normal University)