BEIJING, Oct 23, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - China passed a law Saturday to limit the 
pressure on children from homework and after-school tutoring, state media 
said, as the country reforms its ultra-competitive education system.

  The government has imposed several rules in recent months aimed at 
combating activities it considers harmful to the development of China's 
youth. 

  Beijing has already banned minors from playing online games for more than 
three hours a week in an effort to tackle addiction. It has also launched a 
crackdown on private tutoring companies, ordering them to go non-profit.

  Local authorities will be told to "strengthen their supervision in order to 
reduce the burden on students in terms of homework and extra-curricular 
lessons", said news agency Xinhua, citing a law passed by the Chinese 
legislature.

  "Parents... must allocate in a reasonable way for minors the time devoted 
to studies, rest, entertainment and physical activity in order not to 
increase their learning load and to avoid any internet addiction." 

  The law will come into force on January 1 next year.

  China's exam-oriented education system requires students to take exams from 
an early age and culminates in the feared university entrance exam at age 18 
known as the "gaokao", where a single score can determine a child's life 
trajectory.

  Many parents spend a fortune to enrol their children in the best schools or 
private lessons, which takes a toll on both their finances and the health of 
the youngsters. 

  Reducing the pressure on parents is also seen as a way to encourage Chinese 
people to have more children as the country's population ages.