Overview of School Hours
The length and the intensity of school days in China are driven by political policies, a survival mechanism China uses to secure its future pillars for success - education. The structure and duration of a school day can change vastly between different areas, and stages of education.
Typical School Day Duration
Primary School
The school day for primary children usually starts from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. This included lunch and a break, as most schools give their students some downtime throughout the day. In total, instructional time is typically somewhere around 6 to 7 hours/day.
Middle and High School
Middle school and high school students often have the longest days. The school day starts at 7:30 a.m. and goes until 5:00 p.m. or later. This entails classes and other things aimed at preparing students for the intense college entrance exams, called the Gaokao, which they will take after finishing high school.
Additional Study Sessions
Senior certainly participates in more evening extra classes, while this is not unknown for junior levels to do the same. You might have these sessions going as long as 9:00 PM or later, especially during the months before major exams. The aim is to give them extra time to perfect their subjects, which should, hopefully, help them do well during the tests.
Regional and School Variations
In terms of time, the duration of schools may differs regionally, in agreement with the regulatory guidelines laid out from the province and local officials. School days will be longer in urban areas like Shanghai and Beijing compared to rural areas of the country. Furthermore, hard-core academic schools and those who are top-rated may require more hours to give an extra-push for a more solid-rounded education.
Impact on Students
In China, public debate often swirls around the country's lengthy school hours and their impact on the health and well-being of children. The purpose of extending these hours is to acquire an upper hand in studies, but another outcome is the stress and finding time for entertainment or recreational activities which is essential on a full scale.
Educational Reform Efforts
To address complaints of an overwhelming student workload, the Chinese government has implemented educational reforms with policies designed to decrease the amount of homework and exams students are subjected to. So the core of these reforms is around maintaining academic standards whilst having a particular focus on wellbeing, as we know that cultural issues in our education system contribute to high levels of stress and anxiety between and among staff and students.
To learn more about how different educational systems affect the student experience beyond this region, ask us to write about Northeast Forestry University, another academic setting which is largely shaped by its geographical and cultural location.