China Bans For-Profit School Tutoring in Sweeping Overhaul
24 July 2021 (Bloomberg) – China unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its $100 billion education tech sector, banning companies that teach the school curriculum from making profits, raising capital or going public.
Beijing on Saturday published a plethora of regulations that together threaten to up-end the sector and jeopardize billions of dollars in foreign investment. Companies that teach school subjects can no longer accept overseas investment, which could include capital from the offshore registered entities of Chinese firms, according to a notice released by the State Council. Those now in violation of that rule must take steps to rectify the situation, the country’s most powerful administrative authority said, without elaborating.
In addition, listed firms will no longer be allowed to raise capital via stock markets to invest in businesses that teach classroom subjects. Outright acquisitions are forbidden. And all vacation and weekend tutoring related to the school syllabus is now off-limits.
The regulations threaten to obliterate the outsized growth that made stock market darlings of TAL Education Group, New Oriental Education & Technology Group and Gaotu Techedu Inc. They could also put the market largely out of reach of global investors. Education technology had emerged as one of the hottest investment plays in China in recent years, attracting billions from the likes of Tiger Global Management, Temasek Holdings Pte and SoftBank Group Corp.
“Operating losses at New Oriental and TAL can only worsen over the next several years as China overhauls its tutorial industry. Cost cuts won’t keep pace with revenue declines in the short term as the government, with the stated goal of lightening students’ workload, banned for-profit school tutoring as well as holiday and weekend lessons.”
In a series of statements over the weekend, all the major education companies said they would comply with the new rules and support the decisions of the party.
In a post on its official Weibo account, TAL said it would “fully implement the party’s education policy” and “strive to cultivate people’s talents with all-around development of morality, intelligence and physical health.”
The regulatory assault mirrors Beijing’s broader campaign against the growing heft of Chinese internet companies from Didi Global Inc. to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. It stems from a deeper backlash against the industry, as excessive tutoring torments youths, burdens parents with expensive fees and exacerbates inequalities in society.
The out-of-school education industry has been “severely hijacked by capital,” according to a separate article posted on the site of the Ministry of Education. “That broke the nature of education as welfare.”
It’s a stunning reversal of fortune for an industry that once boasted some of the fastest growth rates in the country. Alibaba, Tencent Holdings Ltd. and ByteDance Ltd. were among the big names that have invested in a sector that had been expected to generate 491 billion yuan ($76 billion) in revenue by 2024. Those lofty expectations groomed a generation of giant startups like Yuanfudao and Zuoyebang. Online education platforms attracted about 103 billion yuan of capital in 2020 alone, according to iResearch.
Devised and overseen by a dedicated branch set up just last month to regulate the industry, the rules unveiled Saturday were couched in general terms that could be applied broadly to common practices throughout the industry. The new regulations are focused on compulsory subjects, meaning critical material like math, science and history. Classes for art or music mostly would not fall under the new restrictions.
Among other things, they also ban the teaching of foreign curriculums, tighten scrutiny over the import of textbooks and forbid the hiring of foreign teachers outside of China — a curb that could have severe consequences for startups like VIPKid that specialize in overseas tutors. The government also ordered local authorities to tighten approvals for companies providing training on extra-curriculum subjects.
New Regulations for China’s Education Sector:
- Companies and institutions that teach the school curriculum must go non-profit
- Such institutions cannot pursue IPOs, or take foreign capital
- Listed companies will be prohibited from issuing stock or raising money in capital markets to invest in school-subject tutoring institutions, or acquiring their assets via stock or cash
- Foreign firms are banned from acquiring or holding shares in school curriculum tutoring institutions, or using VIEs (variable interest entities) to do so. Those already in violation need to rectify the situation
- All vacation and holiday curriculum tutoring is off-limits
- Online tutoring and school-curriculum teaching for kids below six years of age is forbidden
- Agencies cannot teach foreign curriculums or hire foreigners outside of China to teach
- Chinese education stocks plunge amid possibility of being forced to become non-profit
- It’s ultimately unclear how the government clampdown will turn out — many believe Beijing won’t seek to annihilate an industry that still plays an essential role in grooming its future workforce.
For now, many investors may choose to err on the side of caution. The government’s desire to assert control over the economy and one of its most valuable resources lies at the heart of recent regulatory clampdowns on online industries. Companies that operate as internet platforms have come increasingly under scrutiny because of the reams of data they collect, stirring government concern over issues of privacy and security.
Online tutoring agencies will also be forbidden from accepting pupils under the age of six. To make up for the shortfall, China will improve the quality of state-run online education services and make them free of charge, the State Council said.
!! Online English teaching as it once was is over !!
This is the way forward …
!! Deliver your own online courses and start your own online school !!
Our comprehensive course on effective Online Course Delivery is now enrolling. Designed by industry experts with years of experience in online education, this course is tailored to help you develop and deliver effective, engaging online courses that inspire your learners and foster their success.
In this course, you will learn:
- The principles of effective online course delivery
- How to develop clear and measurable learning outcomes
- Strategies for engaging and motivating your learners
- How to design effective assessments and evaluations
- Tips for creating interactive and multimedia-rich content
- Techniques for promoting learner interaction and collaboration
- Best practices for managing online discussions and feedback
Our course is designed for educators and course creators of all levels, from beginners to experienced professionals. With a mix of online lectures, interactive activities, and real-world examples, you’ll gain the skills and confidence you need to create courses that truly make an impact.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to take your online courses to the next level!
Enroll now and start delivering effective, engaging online courses that inspire your learners and drive their success!
Course length, dates & times
This 35-hour course is delivered over 5 weeks. There will be a weekly 1-hour live session, the timing of which will be negotiated per the availability of the group.
Apart from the live session, much of the interaction takes place in online forums. Participants can log in and work through each unit at any time during the week.
!! SPECIAL OFFERS !!
Book Online Course Delivery + Teaching Business English
and get £33 off the standard price
“I felt so inspired by this course, which I learned so much from. It gave me a better perception of online teaching.”
Margo in South Africa
Register Now …
”I enjoyed Online Course Delivery immensely. The training provider has designed a detailed course that gives fantastic value for money, incorporating both individual and group forms of communication and tasks. The course has given me the knowledge and tools to further my career teaching online. I can highly recommend Online Course Delivery.”
Matt in Brazil
