“There Is Only One Childhood”: A New Interpretation of China’s “Crackdown” on Education Companies

In recent years, the Chinese government has implemented a series of dramatic crackdowns on various business sectors in China, one of which, beginning in July 2021, targeted the private tutoring industry. This article offers a new interpretation of this crackdown on private education companies, arguing that it is part of a new comprehensive education policy called the “Double Reduction” (DR) policy. Although the policy’s main goal has been to reduce students’ educational burden, this article also links the policy to China’s core objective of advancing indigenous innovation to enable national rejuvenation. The analysis of the DR policy also reveals two contradictions that currently characterize China’s educational path: first, the contradiction inherent in the authoritarian and paternalistic state using tough measures to enforce parental compliance with policies aimed at fostering more democratic parenting styles; and second, the contradiction inherent in policies aimed at fostering happy childhoods for the purposes of global competitiveness.