Leveraging Off-Campus Tutoring Institutions to Improve the Quality and Efficiency of After-School Services under the Double Reduction Policy --A Case Study of X Primary School in N County, Ningbo City

The participation of off-campus training institutions in school-based after-school services represents an important initiative to optimize the educational ecosystem under the background of the Double Reduction policy. Taking X Primary School in N County, Ningbo City as a case study, this research, through in-depth interviews and field investigations, reveals the current challenges facing after-school services and potential paths for improvement. The study finds that issues such as insufficient in-school teaching staff, an imperfect financial support mechanism, the absence of selection standards for off-campus training institutions, and deviations in policy understanding among educational stakeholders restrict the quality of after-school services. Although the involvement of off-campus training institutions can help alleviate the shortage of teachers and enrich the supply of courses, problems such as the conflict between their profit-driven nature and the public welfare orientation of education, as well as the lack of course supervision, still warrant caution. Based on stakeholder theory, the study proposes a multi-party collaborative governance strategy: the government should strengthen financial support and regulatory responsibilities and establish a scientific selection mechanism; schools should optimize course design and management processes and build communication bridges among families, schools, and communities; families should shift their educational perceptions and participate rationally in after-school services; and off-campus training institutions should adhere to a public welfare orientation and improve course quality. The research indicates that only through multi-party collaborative governance can the quality and efficiency of after-school services be enhanced, truly achieving the goals of the Double Reduction policy and promoting the comprehensive development of students.