This paper examines the “Double Reduction” policy issued by the Chinese government in 2021 by using a Critical Discourse Problematization Framework (CDPF) that combines Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and what’s the problem represented to be (WPR) approach. The study points out that the changing discourse of equality and equity in China is crucial for understanding the assumptions and presuppositions that lie behind and shape the “Double Reduction” policy. The analysis of the policy text conveys that the government views the privatization of education in China as being responsible for the lowered quality of public education, the competitive learning environment, and financial and mental pressure on families and parents. However, this study reveals the silent part of the “Double Reduction” policy through the WPR approach, which demonstrates that privatization of education is not the root cause of educational inequality/injustice in China. The work of this critical policy analysis aims to better understand the dilemma of education in China and provide insights to the policymakers, educators, and related stakeholders from the perspective of changing policy discourse.
BrayM (2023) Geographies of shadow education: patterns and forces in the spatial distributions of private supplementary tutoring. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education53(3): 343–360. DOI: 10.1080/03057925.2021.1915749.
4.
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCCPC) (1985) Decision of the central committee of the communist party of China on the reform of the educational structure [original in Chinese]. Available at:https://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_sjzl/moe_177/tnull_2482.html
5.
ChenGOubibiMLiangA, et al. (2022) Parents’ educational anxiety under the “double reduction” policy based on the family and students’ personal factors. Psychology Research and Behavior Management15: 2067–2082. DOI: 10.2147/PRBM.S370339.
6.
ChenYYuanMZhangM (2023) Income inequality and educational expenditures on children: evidence from the China family panel studies. China Economic Review78: 101932. DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2023.101932.
7.
EspinozaO (2007) Solving the equity–equality conceptual dilemma: a new model for analysis of the educational process. Educational Research49(4): 343–363. DOI: 10.1080/00131880701717198.
HanL (2023) The relationship between double reduction policy and secondary school students’ learning anxiety—the mediating role of academic burden. International Journal of New Developments in Education5(5): 33–38. DOI: 10.25236/IJNDE.2023.050507.
11.
HuangW (2020) The use of HPT model to analyze the issue of public school teacher turnover in China. In: Proceedings of the 2020 4th international conference on deep learning technologies (ICDLT), Beijing China, 10–12 July 2020, 69–74. DOI: 10.1145/3417188.3417201.
12.
JiaWPengJ (2022) The Public Sentiment Analysis of Double Reduction Policy on Weibo Platform. London, UK: Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience: Cinclus. DOI: 10.1155/2022/3212681.
13.
JinXSunY (2022) Does double reduction policy decrease educational pressures on Chinese family? Advances in social science. Education and Humanities Research637: 771–776. DOI: 10.2991/assehr.k.220131.140.
14.
LesterJNLochmillerCRGabrielR (2016) Locating and applying critical discourse analysis within education policy. Education Policy Analysis Archives24: 102. DOI: 10.14507/epaa.24.2768.
15.
LiJYanSZhangX, et al. (2022) The media public opinion analysis on the implementation of “double reduction” policy in education based on big data. Wireless Communications & Mobile Computing2022: 1093358. Online. DOI: 10.1155/2022/1093358.
16.
LuWZhouSWeiY (2022) Government policies and unintended consequences: rising demand for private supplementary tutoring in China. International Journal of Educational Development94: 102653. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2022.102653.
17.
Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (MOE) (2013) Ten Regulations to reduce academic burden for primary school students (2nd Edition Consultation Draft). https://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xwfb/s248/201309/t20130905_156983.html(In Chinese) (accessed 6 April 2023).
18.
Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (MOE) (2018) “Notice Issued by the General Office of the Ministry of Education on Progress of the Special Campaign to Rectify Tutoring Institutions”. http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A06/s3325/201901/t20190102_365713.html(In Chinese) (accessed 6 April 2023).
Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (MOE) (2022) Introduction of national smart education public service platform and the effects of implication process press conference. Available at:https://www.moe.gov.cn/fbh/live/2022/54324/(accessed 6 April 2023).
22.
RizviF (2016) Privatization in Education: trends and consequences. In: Education Research and Foresight Series. Paris, France: UNESCO, 18. https://en.unesco.org/node/262287
SchaubMKimHJangD, et al. (2020) Reformer’s dream or nightmare?Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education50(7): 1066–1079. DOI: 10.1080/03057925.2020.1733797.
25.
Shanghai Market Regulation (2022) Five off-campus training advertisements in Shanghai have been investigated for creating anxiety, fabricating original prices and illegal recommendations. https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1723194453350821107&wfr=spider&for=pc (accessed 6 April 2023).
TengJYangZYuM, et al. (2024) Chinese primary school teachers’ working time allocation after the enactment of the “Double Reduction” policy: a mixed-methods study. Teaching and Teacher Education137: 104385. DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2023.104385.
28.
Van AswegenJHyattDGoodleyD (2019) A critical discourse problematization framework for (disability) policy analysis. Qualitative Research Journal19(2): 185–198. DOI: 10.1108/qrj-12-2018-0004.
29.
VergerAFontdevilaCZancajoA (2016) The Privatization of Education. [electronic Resource]: A Political Economy of Global Education Reform. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
30.
XiJ (2022) Hold High the great banner of socialism with chinese characteristics and strive in unity to build a modern socialist country in all respects. Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Xinhua News Agency.
31.
Xinhua News (2021) Xi jinping chaired the 10th meeting of the CPC central committee for financial and economic Affairs. Beijing, China. The State Council. https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2021-08/17/content_5631780.htm (accessed 8 April 2023).
32.
XueHPTangYP (2017) Ideal and reality: research on the wage level and structure of primary and secondary school teachers in China. Peking University Education Review2: 186–187. 17–38.
33.
YangDP (2006) From equality of right to equality of opportunity: the slot of educational equity in New China. Peking University Education Review4(2).
ZhangWBrayM (2021) A changing environment of urban education: historical and spatial analysis of private supplementary tutoring in China. Environment and Urbanization33(1): 43–62. DOI: 10.1177/0956247820981820.
36.
ZhangYDangYHeY, et al. (2021) Is private supplementary tutoring effective? A longitudinally detailed analysis of private tutoring quality in China. Asia Pacific Education Review22(2): 239–259. DOI: 10.1007/s12564-021-09671-3.
37.
ZhouXRinneRKalloJ (2018) Shifting discourses of equality and equity of Basic Education: an analysis of national policy documents in China. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy4(3): 168–179. DOI: 10.1080/20020317.2018.1554021.
