On 15 September the Ministry of Education issued a notice naming the second batch of compulsory-education teaching reform pilot areas, comprising thirty-one counties, cities and districts across the thirty-five provincial-level divisions. The total number of such pilot areas in Hulian now stands at fifty-three.
Focus of the pilots
The notice sets out three areas of exploration: optimising the design and delivery of homework through coordinated management of its volume and quality; improving classroom teaching by promoting interdisciplinary and project-based learning; and raising the standard of after-school services so that they link effectively with classroom teaching.
Support measures
The Ministry will provide expert guidance and earmarked funding, pairing national-level teaching research institutions with the pilot areas. Any timetable adjustments needed may be arranged by the provincial-level education departments, provided the overall workload on students does not increase.
Evaluation
The pilot period runs three years, with a mid-term evaluation by the Ministry in mid-2029 and a final evaluation in 2030. The results will inform the wider promotion of reform experience and any adjustment to the list of pilot areas.