Chongqing - "The essence of 'double reduction' is not to reduce children's performance or the quality of teaching," said Liu Xiya, deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) and principal of Chongqing Xiejiawan Primary School in Jiulongpo District.

She appeared at the Deputies' Corridor of the fifth session of the 13th NPC on March 8.

The deputies appearing at the Corridor have been recommended by the media and delegations with full consideration of essential topics. Deputies being interviewed will also cover all levels.

Learning relates to external communication

On July 24, 2021, the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council issued a set of guidelines to ease the burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for students undergoing compulsory education. This is known as "double reduction."

The document clearly proposes comprehensively reducing the total amount and length of homework and the burden of students' excessive homework to improve the school's after-class service level and meet the diverse needs of students.

"Double reduction" aims to integrate educational resources inside and outside the school and reconstruct the educational ecology. Returning to the essence of education and improving the quality of children's growth is the key.

Liu believes that reducing the burden is to improve quality and efficiency. She thinks that real education should not improve academic performance through immersing oneself in exercises and countless assignments.

Liu shares several key factors to improve children's academic performance.

Children's academic performance is positively correlated with their active emotions, adequacy of sleep and exercise, openness to external communication, focus on active inquiry, and a sense of meaning, competence, and satisfaction in the learning process.

This year, one of her key tasks is to explore a light-burdened, high-quality secondary education path in the context of "double reduction" and continue to conduct in-depth research on the practical issues and summarize experiences in the relevant areas.

"In the future, we will still fulfill our duties," said Liu. "We will insist on cultivating talent for China, implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, and actively explore quality education in primary and secondary schools."

Whole-Process People's Democracy

Liu told us it is a challenge to perform well at the Deputies' Corridor.

"It is difficult to sort out what we would like to say based on a full investigation and express it in four to five minutes," said Liu. "At the same time, we should be prepared to face the focal and hot issues and live up to the responsibility and mission of a deputy."

Paying attention to the voices of the people and reflecting their concerns is also the focus of Liu's work this year.

"The political, advanced, and representative nature of a grassroots NPC deputy can be reflected through those aspects of work," said Liu.

Liu believes that it is a precious experience to use the Deputies' Corridor to reflect the grassroots voice to the top-level of the central government. It is also a vivid manifestation of the people's democracy in the whole process.

(Shi Jiaqi, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)