Confusion Reigns as Education Bureau Pushes Back on "Rumors" About After-School Training Centers
Earlier this week rumors were swirling that all of the city's after-school training centers would be shutting down for an indeterminate amount of time while authorities conduct a sweeping investigation of the industry. However, the Beijing Municipal Education Bureau was quick to push back on the news, releasing a statement that reads in part:
Recently, the news that “Beijing continues to suspend offline training and collective activities of subject-related off-campus training institutions” has been spread online, and the Municipal Education Commission has made it clear that this news is untrue. In late January, according to the epidemic situation, the city suspended offline training and collective activities of training institutions. With the opening of primary and secondary schools, the Municipal Education Commission has initiated the orderly recovery of subject-based off-campus training institutions, and supports off-campus training institutions that meet school-running standards and are beneficial to the improvement of students' knowledge and overall quality to carry out offline training in accordance with laws and regulations.
Allegedly, the Chaoyang District Education and Training Institutions’ Special Management Bureau issued a notice on Mar 10, targeting after-school classes for primary and secondary students, language skills training centers, and institutions related to high school entrance examinations.
That announcement followed a supposed slate of notices issued in Haidian, Dongcheng, Xicheng, Changping, and Tongzhou districts. The story was later picked up by a WeChat account, Teachers' Reference, which claimed the notice indicated that training centers are being targeted as part of a comprehensive investigation of all existing institutions to strengthen overall legal compliance. In addition, it also emphasized that training centers will be spot-checked without prior notice.
Although the Municipal Education Bureau has denied the news as mere conjecture, we have been able to independently verify that at least one training center in the city – which wishes to remain anonymous – was inexplicably asked to close down, and hasn't received any information about when it might be able to reopen.
Such rumors are not uncommon around the time of large government events, such as the recent Two Sessions legislative meeting. Likewise, it's also not uncommon for these events to coincide with some training center spot-checks and crackdowns on illegal employment in the capital. However, it appears as though the scope of those spot-checks and investigations won't require a mass closure of centers.
Indiscriminate hiring practices and shady training center operations have long been a thorn in the side of officials, as the demand for English courses far exceeds the supply of qualified teachers and centers. Nevertheless, a standardized extracurricular education industry and strict supervision are yet to materialize in any meaningful way. Should funds, licenses, and qualifications become more uniform, however, some have expressed concern that the policy would likely cause difficulties for small and medium-sized institutions, and could result in further fee increases, leading to a greater burden on parents.
A version of this article originally appeared on our sister site, Jingkids International.
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