China adopts policies to lessen academic pressure on students

HONG KONG - China's Education Ministry on Friday announced a framework to promote students' physical and mental health with measures that include banning schools from assigning excess homework and encroaching on student break time.

Schools are prohibited from frequently organising examinations and increasing the "academic burden on students," the ministry said in a statement on its official WeChat.

The announcement comes as authorities try to reduce academic pressure and improve the mental health of students, pivoting away from the nation's traditional attitude that requires children to study hard and get good grades.

Heavy homework loads are common in schools across China, leading to a lack of sleep and increased anxiety and depression, experts said.

China said in November last year that schools must "strictly control" the total amount of homework and offer "at least" two hours of physical activity for primary and secondary students every school day.Kindergartens are strictly prohibited from adopting primary school teaching methods or teaching primary school curriculum in advance, the notice said.

Primary and secondary schools are banned from organising any kind of examination for the purpose of selecting students and schools are banned from rewarding or punishing teachers for "hyping up" top scorers in college entrance exams.

Schools must also not "encroach on students break time in anyway, or prohibit students from leaving the classroom during breaks."

The notice comes after China announced that spring and autumn holidays would be introduced for schools, adding to the traditional time off in the summer and winter.

The Sichuan Southwest Vocational College of Aviation said on its official Wechat last week that its holiday theme for the six-day spring break from April 1-6 is to "see the flowers and enjoy romance," as authorities think of creative ways to boost future marriages and stoke domestic consumption.

-Reporting by Farah Master and the Shanghai newsroom; editing by Michael Perry/Reuters