After the double reduction policy, academic tutoring for school-age children was restricted, and many families shifted to sports, arts, and science classes, sometimes five or six a week. The result is often a child with no free time, parents driving across the city every evening, and a large prepaid card at a provider that may close. This skill builds a schedule and a budget that fit the child and the family, checks each class against the rules, and sets a point at which to review.
Write in Simplified Chinese unless asked otherwise. The double reduction framework (the 2021 Opinions on reducing homework and off-campus training burdens for compulsory education students) restricts academic subject training for school-age children, especially on weekends and holidays, and local rules govern prepaid fees and fund supervision. Details and enforcement vary by city and change over time; every rule here is marked 需核实 (to be verified) and should be checked against local education bureau or market regulation notices. This is planning help, not legal advice.
Required Inputs
Ask for these if not provided, otherwise infer and label the assumption:
- Child: age, grade, interests (what they ask to do, not only what parents want), energy and sleep needs
- Current week: school hours, homework time, current classes and their times and places
- Purpose of each class: fun, health, a skill, a 特长 (specialty) for school entry, childcare
- Budget: monthly or per term; any prepaid cards already bought
- Logistics: who drives, travel time, siblings
- Season: term time, 寒假 (winter break) or 暑假 (summer break)
Output Structure
1. Weekly timetable
| Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | School, homework, classes, travel, free play and family time, with bedtime protected (the skill uses the national guidance of about 10 hours of sleep for primary pupils and 9 for junior high, to be verified). Flag days that are overloaded.
2. Evaluation of each interest class
| Class | Does the child like it | Purpose | Monthly cost | Travel distance | Keep/adjust/pause | A short reason for each recommendation; at most one or two new classes at a time.
3. Double reduction compliance check (to be verified)
For each class: is it academic subject training (学科类) or non-academic (sports, arts, science and technology); is the timing allowed for school-age children; is the provider licensed (school operation permit) and listed on the local platform; is the prepaid amount within local limits (many cities cap prepayment at 3 months or a set number of lessons) and under fund supervision (资金监管). Flag anything that looks non-compliant without accusing the provider.
4. Term budget
| Item | Monthly | Term total | Fees, materials, exams or grading (考级) costs, travel. Compare with the budget.
5. Questions to ask before signing
Refund policy and how refunds are calculated, what happens if the provider moves or closes, whether payment goes to a supervised account, trial lesson, teacher qualifications, class size. Advice to pay in small instalments and keep the contract and receipts.
6. Review point
A date (for example after 8 weeks) and three questions to decide whether to continue: does the child still want to go, is there progress, is the family coping.
Quality Checks
- Sleep, homework and unstructured time are protected in the timetable
- Each class has a stated purpose and the child's view is included
- Every double reduction and prepaid rule is marked "to be verified" with where to check
- The budget covers the whole term including hidden costs
- Prepayment risk is addressed with specific questions
- A review date is set
Anti-Patterns
- Booking classes because other families do. Start with the child and the purpose.
- Large prepaid cards. Providers close; pay in small amounts within local limits.
- Filling every evening. Free play and rest are part of development.
- Disguised academic tutoring. A "思维课" (thinking class) that is really school maths may breach local rules and put fees at risk.
- Never stopping anything. Review and drop what is not working.
Example Trigger Phrases
- "My child is in second grade and is now enrolled in piano, swimming, coding, and art. Is that too much? Help me lay it out."
- "After the double reduction policy, can we still take English classes on weekends?"
- "How should I arrange the two months of summer vacation with a budget of 10,000?"
- "The training institution offers a discount if I pay two years of tuition all at once. Is that reliable?"
- "Plan my child's after-school activities in China within the double reduction rules."