Zhejiang Pioneers Spring, Autumn Breaks for Schools

Zhejiang has become China's first province to fully roll out spring and autumn breaks for all primary and secondary schools, a landmark education reform designed to reduce student burnout and stimulate off-peak tourism.

The newly implemented breaks introduce short holidays during academic semesters, separate from traditional summer and winter vacations. Cities across Zhejiang have developed customized schedules, Southern Metropolis Daily reported on Thursday.

Ningbo, for example, has established three-day breaks for both seasons. Its spring break connects with the May Day holiday, while the autumn break falls on November 12-14, forming a five-day break including weekends. Similarly, Jiaxing's Nanhu District has scheduled its autumn break for November 12-14. Lishui provides two-to-three days for spring break around May Day and a three-day autumn break in November.

Hangzhou, which pioneered trial breaks as early as 2004, continues its three-day breaks. This academic year, the city scheduled its spring break right before May Day, creating a nine-day continuous holiday, while placing the autumn break before the National Day holiday to form an 11-day golden autumn break.

The provincial initiative aligns with a national policy issued in September by nine central government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission. The policy encourages local governments to optimize school schedules and explore seasonal breaks to help boost service consumption through increased travel opportunities.

Other regions like Foshan in Guangdong Province and Enshi in Hubei Province have also launched similar programs.

However, the new breaks have received mixed reactions from parents. While many support the initiative for improving children's well-being and learning engagement, some express concern over the lack of parental leave.

"It's a great idea in theory, but the main issue is that parents don't get the same time off," said a Hangzhou parent. "Although the policy encourages breaks, companies often find it hard to accommodate," according to the report.

A junior high teacher in Hangzhou noted that nearly one-third of families in their class have had to opt for school-supervised daycare due to parents' work commitments, limiting students' opportunities for travel or enrichment activities.

"Successful implementation requires addressing current barriers to taking leave," said Xue Ping, director of the Zhejiang Provincial Education Promotion Center. He recommended introducing incentives for employers to align parental leave with school breaks.