Beijing tightens supervision over after-school teaching institutions

BEIJING — Beijing authorities have examined a total of 12,681 after-school teaching institutions amid a campaign targeting extracurricular programs that put students under too much pressure, a local official said on Dec 13.

More than 7,500 institutions were found to have problems such as operating without licenses, using false advertising, and teaching courses too advanced for the school’s normal curriculum, Feng Hongrong, the deputy inspector with the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, said at a press conference.

Over 93 percent of the institutions have made rectifications since the campaign started early this year.

Feng said Beijing would tighten supervision on 26 major cluster zones of after-school teaching institutions during the winter vacation. It will also build a long-term supervision mechanism, including keeping an eye on the institutions’ funds.

Tutoring organizations have been booming in China in recent years. Many parents believe that if their children can go to prestigious schools, they can have a bright future.