Foshan primary, middle schools get extra leave

Guangdong province's Foshan has announced that primary and junior middle school students in the city can have an extra five days of leave in spring and autumn, starting from the upcoming 2025-26 fall semester.

According to a notice released by the city's educational bureau on Saturday, the first fall leave will last for three days from Nov 12 to 14, while the other two days for spring leave will come around the May Day holiday next year.

According to the city government, the additional leave is aimed at adjusting the learning pace of the city's primary and secondary school students by reducing their heavy academic burden, fostering a healthy state of work-rest balance and guiding them to step out of the classrooms into society and nature more often.

During the spring and autumn holidays, teachers are required to assign minimal written homework, or even none at all, to encourage and guide students to participate in social practice, it said.

A mother of a fifth-grade student, surnamed Yi, said the autumn leave is very meaningful, adding that she plans to take her daughter on a trip during this period.

Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said additional leave during the spring and autumn holidays benefits schools, teachers, and students.

"But the key is how to implement it when primary and secondary students face intense academic pressure to advance to higher-level schools, and they have to get involved in intense competitions for top exam scores, including zhongkao (senior high school entrance examination) and gaokao (the national college entrance examination)," he said, adding that focusing on exams and utilitarian approaches in basic education remain trends.

"In addition, the students might not be well taken care of at home during the holidays if their parents still have to work," he said.

Xiong called for the introduction of a paid vacation system for parents, encouraging them to spend time with their children during the spring and autumn holidays.

Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the China National Academy of Educational Sciences, said spring and autumn leave days can help address deficiencies in students' social development and enhance their collaborative skills through activities.

In terms of holiday arrangements, relevant departments should adhere to the principle of ensuring sound growth and development for children. Adjustments should be made according to specific time, place and individual conditions, with schools and families entrusted to make decisions, avoiding a "one-size-fits-all" approach, Chu said.

Foshan is among the first cities on the Chinese mainland to have officially announced requirements for spring and autumn leave days in schools with the introduction of pilot rules.

Educational departments in provincial-level regions such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Hubei and Hunan have already explored the introduction of spring and autumn vacation days.

Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, began implementing spring and autumn leave for primary and secondary schools as early as 2004.

On the premise of ensuring the total teaching time for each academic year, Hangzhou has adjusted the winter and summer holiday time, leaving three days for spring vacation and another three for autumn vacation, local authorities said.

The educational bureau of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, said districts are encouraged to explore the introduction of spring and autumn leave for primary and secondary schools based on their actual need.

Zhang Zirou contributed to this story.