Private educational institutions do complement public education in China, a deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC) said, but added he was opposed to forcing children to undergo extra classes at too early an age, or be enrolled in "gifted" programs, reported the news portal CNR.
Recently, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and another two departments issued a joint notice that aims to reduce the burdens of primary and junior students and to regulate extra-curricular classes. Children in China regularly have a lot of homework each night, as well as taking extra classes at weekends.
But Yu Minhong, founder and CEO of New Oriental Education, pointed out that some primary and junior students are forced to take exam-oriented classes while they are too young. This is detrimental to their development, can affect their regular schooling, causes heavy pressure on students and increases monetary pressure on families.
Yu said that while early and gifted education can make children improve a lot temporarily, it is unsustainable in the long run. Education in China should not be so difficult, the courses should be suitable for children, and attention must be paid to children’s overall development, he stressed.
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