Schools and Teachers under the Double Reduction Policy: Challenges and Strategies

Abstract

The double reduction policy is of great significance to improving the quality of school education and relieving the pressure of students at the compulsory education level. But problems can not be avoided when a new policy is implemented. Primary and junior high schools have found it difficult to meet the increasing personalized needs of students based on their interests and academic standards when most students no longer reach for off-campus training programs,and they should make more effort in enhancing home-school co-operation. Teachers, as the main performers of the policy, are struggling with surging workload since they should pay more attention to involving in extracurricular activities; they also have to change previous mode of assigning homework and properly assign homework and enhance efficient teaching according to the requirement of double reduction. In order that the double reduction policy should be effective, countermeasures should be proposed so that these problems will not have a negative influence on the policy in a long run: for schools, various off-campus activities should be provided for students which are in keep with their academic proficiency as well as interests; schools should also find ways to communicate smoothly with parents in order to share information and exchange ideas and avoid conflicts. The measures that can solve teachers trouble when implementing the policy are: higher pay and a guarantee of good living standards can be incentives for teachers to rise to increasing pressure at work while training for them on assigning homework in accordance with the requirements of double reductionand designing teaching procedures appropriately are also necessary. It is expected that these measures can promote the implementation of "double reduction" and turn these so-called challenges into opportunities, improving the quality of school education as well as teachers' teaching proficiency, and reducing the pressure on students and parents.