According to Qingdao Morning News, Qingdao Municipal Education Bureau recently held a press conference asking schools in the city to offer enough winter holiday so that students can be well rested.
QMEB says that Grade Three students at senior high schools must not be asked to go back to school before February 16 (January 10 in the Chinese lunar calendar), and other high school students and primary school students must not be required to go to class before February 21 (January 15 in the lunar calendar). In addition, from the 2008 Spring term on, day-boarders of primary schools must not be asked to study at school for more than six hours each day, and those at high schools must not be asked to stay in school for over eight hours per day.
In addition, the schools must not use summer or winter holidays or other legal holidays to arrange additional classes for students, or organize any paid classes for the student after their normal timetable.
Wang Jinsheng, deputy director of QMEB, says that they made the policy to return the holiday to students and have them enjoy a relaxed and pleasant holiday. Wang says that the education department will send a special team during the holiday to check schools' implementation of this policy and punish those that violate it.
