Jack White is a 17-year-old student who has already published a collection of poetry with a local publisher. Jack believes switching (转换) to an all-boys school changed his life.

“When I was at my mixed school, poetry was for girls, not boys. Boys were supposed to like subjects like math, computers, and science. When I wrote poems, the boys at school used to make fun of me. At my new school, things are different.”

Jack may not realize that boys and girls also learn and think differently based on specific biological developments. These differences have an effect on how and when boys and girls learn, so single-sex education is actually better for children.

Take brain development for example, the areas of the brain involved (有关联) in language, feelings, physical coordination (协调), and social relationships develop in a different order and speed in girls and boys. Teenage girls find it easier to answer the question, “How does the story make you feel?” than teenage boys. Research has shown that teenage girls’ brains develop the connections between language and emotions (情感) earlier than boys’ brains. A teenage boy will have more difficulty answering that question because his brain has not fully developed that connection yet. In a single-sex classroom, everyone’s brain is developing at similar speeds, so teachers can teach according to their students’ actual abilities.

Boys and girls also have different hearing abilities. Girls have a sense of hearing which is two to four times better than boys. Women teachers often speak more quietly, so boys may have more difficulty hearing a woman teacher if she is talking in her “normal” voice. The teacher needs to speak louder to get the boys’ attention. In a single-sex school, teachers do not have to keep adjusting the volume of their voice.

Jack might not notice the biological arguments why single-sex education is better, but he realizes that he is learning faster at his new school. As Jack says, “I hated writing and studying English in my old school, but look at me now, I am a published poet! My new school helped me become comfortable with who I really am.”

①Sun Ruifeng, a mother in Beijing, changed some of her plans for her 8-year-old son’s summer vacation. She looked for an English tutoring course(辅导课), but in the end, she changed it to a swimming training class.

②Because of the stricter rules on subject-tutoring classes(课外辅导班), many parents like Sun choose sports or other projects for developing interests instead. Sun’s choice is part of the result of the government’s growing efforts to lighten the school pressure on young students.

③On July 24, the Chinese government introduced a guideline to cut down the burden (负担) of too much homework and off-school tutoring for primary and junior high school students. It lists requirements in areas such as reducing the amount and the difficulty of homework and improving the quality of education and after-class services provided by schools. For example, homework for children below the third grade is not allowed, while homework for junior high school students should take no longer than 90 minutes to finish.

④According to the guideline, tutoring institutions cannot teach students the content that is too advanced（超前）for the school curriculum(课程). No tutoring courses can be taught on weekends, national holidays or during winter and summer vacations.

⑤According to Global Times, more than 75 percent of Chinese city children, from Grade 1 to Grade 2, take part in tutoring programs. However, some training institutions take part in anxiety (焦虑) marketing, selling unnecessary programs that increase the burden on students.

⑥This has led to many social problems such as students’ falling levels of physical fitness, more mental health problems and huge family costs, said Chu Zhaohui, a senior researcher of the National Institute of Education Sciences.

⑦Many parents showed their support for the new moves. “Subject learning is enough at school and we hope to improve children’s overall(全部的) quality of life during holidays,” a parent surnamed Zhou in Guangzhou told Xinhua.

⑧However, there are also some worries. A parent surnamed Chen in Shanxi said that although she agreed with the new moves, she worried about what her son would do after school if both parents have no time to be with him.

In July, 2022, China introduced the “double reduction” policy (双减政策). It hopes to reduce students’ learning burden (负担) by reducing homework and after-school classes. One month has passed since the new term began. How do students feel about this new policy?

“Our homework is clearly less than before” said 13-year-old Shen Yuzhe from Beijing. “We are not encouraged to buy workbooks any more. The exercises are mainly from the textbook.”

According to Shen, teachers now teach at a much slower pace (节奏). Students have enough time to process new knowledge. “Our teachers are also giving us more chances to do experiments and learn from real life,” said Shen “For example, we went to research earthworms (蚯蚓) in a field during a biology class. This is a much better way to learn things than just hitting the books.

For 13-year-old Zhang Hangming from Tianjin, the best thing about “double reduction” is the increased time in after-school activities. “We can now spend more time taking part in clubs and activities, such as dancing, volleyball and drama. I have joined a group called ‘leadership development in business’ where I can learn all kinds of skills beyond academic (学业的)study,” said Zhang.

Both Shen and Zhang find there are fewer exams now. But they think it’s not necessarily a good thing. “Exams force me to study harder. Each exam shows my progress as well as my weak points,” Zhang said.

Shen also pointed out that when burden is lightened, self-discipline (自律) becomes the key. “Some students now spend more time having fun when homework is finished early. But if you use all the free time to relax, you might fall behind others,” he said.