Students experience traditional weaving at a primary school in Huashui Township, Dongyang City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 1, 2024. (Photo/Xinhua)

Chongqing - China's Ministry of Commerce, along with eight other departments, recently unveiled a policy package to boost service consumption, including a proposal to introduce spring and autumn school breaks for primary and secondary students, which has gained significant attention.

Long holidays like National Day and May Day have caused overcrowded tourist sites, leading to calls for spring and autumn school breaks. According to a 2024 survey by the Social Survey Center of China Youth Daily and wenjuan.com, 71.3% of respondents supported introducing spring breaks, a move that could help boost service consumption.

This idea is not entirely new. Decades ago, rural schools provided "busy farming breaks" in spring and autumn, in addition to summer and winter vacations, allowing students to assist with agricultural work. However, with the widespread adoption of the two-day weekend, these breaks gradually faded away.

The guidelines emphasize that the total number of school days and teaching hours should remain unchanged. Local governments with suitable conditions—taking into account factors such as climate, production schedules, and the implementation of paid leave for employees—can scientifically adjust the academic calendar. They may explore introducing spring and autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools, while correspondingly shortening summer and winter vacations.

In fact, national-level policy documents have raised this possibility multiple times since 2013, and in 2020 the Ministry of Education stated that the decision should be left to local authorities and schools, as long as teaching requirements were met.

A martial arts teacher teaches students in Huagang Town, Feixi County in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, July 19, 2024. (Photo/Xinhua)

So far, only a few regions have taken concrete steps. Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province pioneered spring and autumn breaks in 2004. By 2024, some parent raised safety concerns on the government consultation and complaint platform, noting difficulties supervising children while at work. 

In response, the Hangzhou Education Bureau said schools could offer trips, after-school programs, or open campus facilities, while youth activity centers were encouraged to organize programs benefiting students' physical and mental health.

In April, the bureau issued a notice setting each break at three days, allowing schools to use one day for trips, sports events, or social practice activities, and supporting links with public holidays to create longer consecutive days off for families.

Since August, Foshan in Guangdong, Zhoushan in Zhejiang, and Enshi in Hubei have announced pilot or implementation plans for spring and autumn breaks. Education authorities in Jiangsu, Sichuan, and some other regions are currently studying similar arrangements.

Currently, spring and autumn breaks have not been widely adopted across most regions, with several practical challenges remaining. Parents are concerned about potential impacts on academic performance amid high school and college entrance exam pressures, and dual-income families face difficulties when children are on break while parents are at work.

At this year's Two Sessions—the annual meetings of China's top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)—Pang Yonghui, a deputy to the NPC and a master of Chinese arts and crafts, suggested a combined approach: phased introduction of spring and autumn breaks, staggered vacation schedules, and better enforcement of paid leave policies. 

He argued that such measures would give families more opportunities to travel and spend time together outside of the summer and winter vacations. At the same time, spring and autumn breaks could boost holiday tourism consumption and help alleviate resource and demand pressures caused by overcrowding during the main holiday periods.

In Chongqing, schools have yet to adopt spring or autumn breaks. Students still rely on summer and winter vocations, though many schools organize spring and autumn outings to let children enjoy nature and relax. Some local parents remain skeptical, pointing out that the city's long, hot summers often already include heatwave breaks, making additional breaks less practical.