China’s Private Tutoring Crackdown Fails to Eliminate Educational Inequality, Study Finds

Beijing: China’s efforts to curb private tutoring have significantly reduced students’ participation in additional academic and nonacademic classes, but disparities in education spending and access to learning opportunities remain, according to a new study by Peking University.

The study found that the proportion of students receiving private academic tutoring dropped to 20.1% in 2025, compared with 38.1% in 2017. Participation in nonacademic programmes, including arts and sports classes, also declined, falling to 16.7% from 22.4% over the same period.

Despite the decline in participation, the reduction in overall tutoring expenditure was relatively modest. Average spending on tutoring among all students fell by 11.8% to 2,873 yuan, equivalent to approximately $430, in 2025, compared with 3,257 yuan in 2017.

The findings suggest that China’s restrictions on private tutoring have reduced the prevalence of supplementary education without fully addressing the underlying inequalities between families from different economic backgrounds.

Wealthier households may continue to have advantages in securing educational opportunities and allocating resources to their children’s development, even as the availability and participation in formal tutoring programmes decline. Differences in household spending and access to educational services remain important factors in shaping students’ learning experiences.

China introduced measures to regulate the private tutoring industry as part of a broader effort to reduce academic pressure on students, ease the financial burden on parents and promote greater fairness in education. The restrictions targeted academic tutoring services, which had become a significant expense for many families.

However, the latest findings indicate that reducing participation in tutoring does not necessarily eliminate differences in educational opportunities. Family resources can continue to influence how much students spend on supplementary learning and what services they can access.

The study highlights the challenges policymakers face in achieving greater educational equality through restrictions alone. While the decline in tutoring participation marks a significant shift in students’ learning patterns, persistent differences in spending suggest that broader measures may be needed to narrow the education gap.

The findings raise questions about how effectively tutoring restrictions can create a more level playing field for students from different socioeconomic backgrounds.