China to make public foreign online teacher qualifications

(ECNS) - China’s six central governmental departments, led by the Ministry of Education, have released a new regulation aimed at online tutoring services.

It states in-service teachers at elementary and middle schools are not allowed to provide such services.

In addition, foreigners need to provide details of their personal educational history, work experience, and relevant accreditations in order to work in the sector, while tutors in Chinese, mathematics, English, politics, history, geography, physics, chemistry, and biology need to have the corresponding teacher qualifications prescribed by the state.

According to the regulation, many online training platforms have been found to have various problems, such as “vulgar and harmful information and online games” not related to learning, test taking-centered tutoring that flouts the law of education, poorly qualified tutors, and difficulties for consumers requesting refunds.

It requires provincial education authorities to keep a record of training institutions, and their contents and personnel. Also, relevant certificates are needed if service providers use foreign learning resources.

In addition, tutoring sessions should not exceed 40 minutes, and be followed by a break of at least 10 minutes, while live streamed tutoring for students in the domestic compulsory education stage should not take place later than 9pm.