Today’s Episode
In China, “extra lessons” used to be everywhere—after school, weekends, even holidays! Then the government banned them. But did they really disappear? Let’s dive into 补课, why it was stopped, and whether Chinese kids still secretly have them today.
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In next MaoMi Chinese+ episode, we explore more about补课 in China by diving into real news headlines. Learn how native speakers express opinions, contrast ideas, and ask questions — all through short, punchy sentences from the news. Great grammar in action!
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大家好，欢迎回来 MaoMi Chinese！你在学校上了一天的课以后，会做什么？和朋友玩，还是回家看电视？以前，在中国，很多的孩子放学后，都要补课。今天我们来聊一聊，“补课”。
“补课”是什么意思呢？就是学生在学校上完课以后，还要再上更多的课。可以在补习班，也可以请老师在家里教。很多中国学生，从小学到高中，都会补课。
为什么要补课呢？有两个主要的原因。第一个原因，家长希望孩子成绩更好，可以考上好学校。第二个原因是“竞争”。“竞争”就是很多人都想要同一个东西，比如一个好的大学，一个好的工作。如果别人都补课，你不补课，就可能落后，也就是比别人差。
所以，在中国，有很多年，学生们都经常补课。补课也是很赚钱的生意，一些补课的老师工资非常高，补课的学校赚了很多钱。
但是，2021年，中国政府出了一个新的政策，叫“双减”。“双减”的意思是：减少学生的作业，减少校外的补课。政府觉得，学生太累了，家长花的钱也太多，所以要“减”。
那大家怎么看呢？有的人很开心。他们觉得孩子终于可以早点休息，可以玩。家长也不用花那么多钱。但是，也有的人担心。他们怕没有补课，孩子成绩会不好。
那现在中国还有没有补课呢？其实还是有的，只是有点不一样了。比如，一些家长会请私人老师偷偷上课。有的补课班改名字，叫“兴趣班”。“兴趣”的意思是你喜欢的东西，比如画画、唱歌、跳舞，等等。但是，有时候这些“兴趣班”里，其实还是在教语文和数学。所以，政府好像禁止了补课，但是其实还有一些人在偷偷补课。因为家长的想法没有变，竞争也没有变。
我觉得，补课是一个很复杂的问题。一方面，孩子需要玩和休息。另一方面，家长又希望孩子学更多。
好啦，我们先来看看今天聊的词语：
补课：在学校以外上课，比如，我每天放学以后都要去补课。
竞争：很多人想要同一个东西。比如，这个学校的竞争很大，每个学生都得努力学习。
双减：一个中国政府的教育政策，减少作业和补课。比如，双减以后，我有更多时间玩了。
兴趣班：为了兴趣参加的课，比如画画、音乐。比如，我周末去上画画兴趣班。
你们国家有补课吗？你小时候补过课吗？欢迎给我们留言，和我们分享哦！
Hello everyone, welcome back to MaoMi Chinese! After all day lessons in school, what would you do? Have fun with friends, or go home to watch TV? In the past, children in China have to 补课bǔkè after school. Today we’re going to talk about 补课bǔkè.
What does “bǔkè” mean? It means that after finishing lessons at school, students still have to take more lessons. This could be in a tutoring centre, or with a teacher coming to teach at home. Many Chinese students, from primary school to high school, all have extra lessons.
So why do people have extra lessons? There are two main reasons.
The first reason is that parents want their children to get better marks and get into a good school.
The second reason is “competition”. “Competition” means that many people want the same thing, for example a good university place, or a good job. If everyone else is having extra lessons and you don’t, you might fall behind – in other words, you won’t do as well as others.
So in China, for many years, students often had extra lessons. It was also a very profitable business. Some tutoring teachers earned very high salaries, and the tutoring schools made a lot of money.
But in 2021, the Chinese government introduced a new policy called “double reduction” (双减). “Double reduction” means reducing students’ homework, and reducing extra lessons outside school. The government thought students were too tired, and parents were spending too much money, so they wanted to “reduce”.
What did people think of this policy? Some people were happy. They felt children could finally rest earlier and have time to play. Parents also didn’t need to spend so much money. But some people were worried. They were afraid that without extra lessons, their children’s marks would get worse.
So, are there still extra lessons in China now? Actually yes, but it’s a bit different. For example, some parents secretly hire private teachers. Some tutoring schools changed their names and became “interest classes”. “Interest” means something you like, such as painting, singing, or dancing. But sometimes, inside these “interest classes”, they are still teaching Chinese or Maths. So, it looks like the government banned extra lessons, but in reality some people are still doing them secretly. Because parents’ way of thinking hasn’t changed, and competition hasn’t changed either.
I think extra lessons are quite a complicated issue. On one hand, children need time to rest and play. On the other hand, parents still hope their children can learn more.
Alright, let’s review some of the words we talked about today:
补课 (bǔkè): extra lessons outside school. For example, I go to extra lessons every day after school.
竞争 (jìngzhēng): competition, when many people want the same thing. For example, the competition at this school is very strong, every student has to study hard.
双减 (shuāngjiǎn): a Chinese government policy to reduce homework and extra lessons. For example, after “double reduction”, I had more time to play.
兴趣班 (xìngqù bān): an interest class, for hobbies such as painting or music. For example, I go to a painting interest class at the weekend.
Do you have extra lessons in your country? Did you take them when you were a child? Feel free to leave me a message and share your experience!
Non solo si pratica il dopo scuola; quanto meno seguire che i compiti a casa vengano eseguiti, ma eseguiti bene senza lacune. Poi ci sono le scuole private per facilitare ed aiutare gli universitari a superare l’esame. Saluti vm.
Thank you for your amazing work. I recently discovered your podcast. I am just a beginner Chinese learner, but I find your pace and pronunciation perfect for me. Thanks. I am a fan and follower from Canada