In July, China introduced the. "double reduction （双减）" policy. It hopes to reduce
schoolwork burden （负担） on primary and junior high school students. The policy calls for reducing homework and after-school classes. According to the policy, children below the third grade will not have homework anymore. It should take no more than 90 minutes for junior high school students to finish their homework. After-school training institutions （校外培训机构） are not allowed to offer. extra education courses or advanced （超前的） teaching on weekends, holidays or during winter and summer vacations. One month has passed since the new semester began. How do students feel about this new policy?
"Our homework is clearly less than before," said 13-year-old Shen Yuzhe from Beijing. "We are not encouraged to buy workbooks anymore. The exercises are mainly from the textbook."
According to Shen, students have enough time to process new knowledge now. "Our teachers are also giving us more chances to do experiments and learn from real life," said Shen. "For example, we went to research earthworms （蚯蚓） in a field during a biology class. This is a much better way to learn things than just hitting the books."
For 13-year-old Zhang Hangming from Tianjin, the best thing about "double reduction" is the increased time in after-school activities. "We can now spend more time taking part in clubs and activities, such as dancing, volleyball and drama. I have joined a group called "leadership development" where I can learn all kinds of skills beyond schoolwork," said Zhang.
Both Shen and Zhang find there are fewer exams now. But they think it's not necessarily a good thing. "Exams push me to study harder. Each exam shows my progress as well as my weak points," Zhang said.
Shen also pointed out that when burden is lightened, self-discipline (自律) becomes the key. "Some students now spend more time having fun when homework is finished early. But if you use all the free time to relax, you might fall behind other students," he said.
