Shenzhen will pilot day care services for primary school students at qualified schools during this summer vacation to alleviate child care pressures on working parents, according to a circular by the city’s education bureau made public yesterday.
In principle, the services will be made available first at qualified schools across the city, excluding the Shenshan Special Cooperation Zone, from July 19 to Aug. 20 (Saturdays and Sundays excluded) in two phases. Each school can decide specific service times based on the students’ needs, the document said.
Meanwhile, schools can cooperate with residential communities and other institutions to offer the services.
The services will not be mandatory.
The major purpose of the services is to help take care of children and ensure they have enough rest, the circular suggested.
Participating schools are required to make their libraries and other learning facilities accessible to students over the summer vacation. While schools are allowed to schedule sports activities for the students, academic training or group tutoring is prohibited.
Teachers are encouraged to participate in the services on a voluntary basis and will get paid for the services, but they should not be forced to work in the program as they are also entitled to rest during the vacation, according to the circular.
University students, senior high school students, retired teachers and social volunteers are welcome to enroll for the services.
The schools will be allowed to charge fees for the services, but should offer waivers to students in financial difficulty, the circular said.
The charging standards at schools in the same district should be unified.
Other cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Wuhan and Suzhou have introduced similar day care policies during this summer break, targeting the competitive tutoring market for school children during holidays so as to ease their pressure.
To alleviate working parents’ pressure when picking up their children on school days, the Ministry of Education has asked all primary and middle schools in urban areas to offer after-school programs that should run until half an hour after the usual time that office work ends.
As an answer to this call, in February, Shenzhen required its public schools to provide after-school services in the afternoon for one or two class hours after daily teaching programs, which became effective from the spring semester of 2021. These after-school services end before 6 p.m.
Students currently attending the compulsory nine-year education in the city enjoy the services.