Education for profit in the era of Xi: biopower, resistance and China’s double reduction policy

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aims to advance the understanding of for-profit Chinese education during the tenure of Chairman Xi Jinping. Notably, Xi has recently targeted the privately operated, for-profit before-and-after school supplementary tutoring industry, commonly referred to as “Shadow Education”. In 2021, the introduction of the Double Reduction policy abruptly prohibited most SE businesses. Our research seeks to elucidate the impacts of this sudden policy shift on Chinese parents’ perceptions and decision-making regarding their children’s education and supplementary learning opportunities. Conducted in 2022 across mainland China, our study engaged 195 parents through an online survey followed by two focus group interviews. The investigation was driven by the primary research question: How did Chinese parents, whose children previously participated in SE, respond to the 2021 Double Reduction policy? The analysis is framed with Foucault’s theory of biopower, which envisions power as permeating all spheres of human life. This theoretical framework is particularly relevant as Chinese education under Xi Jinping’s government is increasingly exemplifies the pervasive influence of biopolitics across all facets of society and learning. We aim to address a critical gap in the study of Chinese education, focusing on the intricate interplay of policy analysis amidst broader social and economic forces.