China Tests Homework Cap for Sleep Health
In the city of Bengbu, located in China's Anhui province, a new pilot program called the “homework circuit breaker mechanism” has been launched to ensure that students get sufficient sleep. According to this program, primary school students can stop doing their homework at 9:00 p.m., and junior high school students at 9:30 p.m., even if their assignments are not completed, with parental approval.
The main aim of the program is to increase students’ sleep duration and to encourage teachers to assign homework more consciously. This policy is not being implemented for the first time in China; similar programs have previously been introduced in regions such as Hefei, Wuping, Suzhou, and Ningbo. In particular, on March 10 in Hefei, a middle school allowed parents to prioritize their children’s rest by signing off on unfinished homework after 10:00 p.m.
In the Wuping implementation, students who have not completed their homework by 9:30 p.m. are directed to go to sleep, and teachers are expected to support the remaining work through differentiated instruction.
According to a 2024 report by the China Sleep Research Society, students sleep less than an average of 8 hours per night. The Ministry of Education also recommends that primary school students get at least 10 hours of sleep per day.
Click here for the source.
