When parental anxiety is sparked by summer break

The high temperatures this summer were unbearable, and so was the pressure on many parents.

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While students enjoy almost complete freedom during summer vacation, their parents and/or guardians are often worried to the core: Who's watching the kids? Are they becoming lazy? Will they fall behind academically? Are they glued to their smartphone/tablet screens? In their anxiety, some parents eagerly await the reopening of schools or cram courses.

But after China implemented the "double reduction" policy in 2021, in order to ease students' burden by banning excessive homework and off-campus tutoring, the chances of cram courses' revival have largely disappeared. Schools are barred from holding formal classes or special tutorials during holidays, tutoring centers have been shut down, and paid private tutoring by schoolteachers is strictly forbidden. While the policy has been enforced, anxiety continues to plague parents. The policy was designed with good intentions: to reduce the pressure of academic overload on students, and make families happier.