The COVID-19 outbreak greatly impacted China’s private education sector. In response to the outbreak, educational institutions of all shapes and sizes had to either close indefinitely or switch to online learning. As many clients demanded refunds due to disrupted classes, traditional tutoring institutions suffered from a lack of cash flow. Online tutoring apps, on the other hand, became more popular than ever – with downloads significantly exceeding pre-outbreak numbers. In this Pacific Prime China article, we dive into online education in China and the future of remote learning.
The rise of online education in China
Even though the importance of education in Chinese society is widely known, the success of online learning in China was not expected. Despite the common preference for traditional institutions, the country has witnessed many changes since its economic boom – the modernization of education being one of them.
Recognized offline educational institutions and big companies like Baidu saw the potential of the online education market from its early days. Now, many institutes that had no plans to move online had to make the adjustment to keep up. On top of that, more and more businesses are starting to offer online education to their employees for skill development.
Online education trends in China have been steadily growing over the past demi-decade, especially in first- and second-tier cities. In 2019, China’s online education market generated ¥272.7 billion in revenue. It was predicted to reach ¥315 billion in 2020 before the start of the outbreak.
How COVID-19 impacted online schooling in China
On January 27, 2020, China’s Ministry of Education issued a notice to postpone the start of school and requested students to stay home. Consequently, offline courses were canceled and online education took its place. Many online courses were made available to ensure that students could continue studying as usual despite the pandemic.
In a matter of weeks, the Chinese government converted textbooks and recorded videos for a variety of subjects that could be accessed by the internet or television. Parents in China who were previously against online learning started to embrace new possibilities. During the outbreak, Alibaba’s learning software DingTalk was installed by 1.1 billion users in China.
Online learning in China continues to grow
Children’s education became the most active sector in the online education market in China, contributing to 20.8% of the total market. By the end of 2022, the K12 online education market share is predicted to make up 28% of the total market. When it comes to K12 online education in China, parents are especially enthusiastic about foreign teachers, especially when it comes to language learning.
The growth of online education in China has been noticeable in the past few years, and there are no signs of abating yet. In fact, China has the potential to become the most active market for online education for reasons such as:
- Growing spending power
- The two-child policy
- Insufficient educational resources
In addition, online education in China has many advantages such as convenience and flexibility. When combined with technologies such as AI, VR, and AR, online education can offer a much more personalized experience as well.
China tightens grip on online learning
In March last year, the Ministry of Education announced that education departments should limit online learning times to ensure that primary and secondary school students are getting enough sleep.
According to the statement, education departments in China are asked to ensure that live online broadcasting training activities end by 9 pm. Prior to the announcement, China’s online education was the subject of online and offline rumors surrounding plans to increase industry regulation. Similarly, delegates called for increased regulation and management of online tutoring at the Two Session parliamentary meetings earlier in the month.
Even though the government has taken measures to limit homework and reduce stress for students, exam preparation classes, cram schools, and the recent introduction of online classes are seen as an essential investment for many Chinese families. Students face immense pressure to get high grades so that they can go to the best schools and universities. As a result, some cities have even started introducing lotteries for leading schools in an attempt to spread resources and encourage schools to be more involved in extracurricular activities rather than private companies.
As more students learn from home and through online courses, it seems as though online learning is here to stay and that the new normal for education will be a combination of online and offline lessons.
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