Journal of East China Normal University(Educational Sciences) ›› 2025, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (1): 17-36.doi: 10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2025.01.002

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The Impact of the “Double Reduction” Policy on the Participation and Expenditure of Students’ Families on Off-campus Tutoring

Xiaodong Pang1,2, Haiping Xue1,2, Fengqiu Xiao3   

  1. 1. College of Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
    2. Research Institute of Out-of-school Education for Primary and Secondary School Students, Capital Normal University, Beijing 10048, China
    3. China National Children’s Center, Beijing 100035, China
  • Accepted:2024-08-20 Online:2025-01-01 Published:2024-12-24

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Abstract:

The “Double Reduction” policy proposes the goal of “reducing the burden of off-campus tutoring expenditures on the families of students in the compulsory education stage.” However, there is currently a lack of research to evaluate the degree of achievement of this policy goal. This study uses a large sample survey data of families of students in the compulsory education stage sampled nationwide, applying the difference-in-differences model (DID) to analyze the impact of the “Double Reduction” policy on the participation and expenditure of students’ families on off-campus tutoring. The study found that (1) the “Double Reduction” policy has significantly reduced the participation and expenditure of students’ families on “disciplinary” off-campus tutoring. The effect remain robust after applied PSM-DID model. (2) the “Double Reduction” policy has a significant reduction effect on student families’ participation in various “disciplinary” off-campus tutoring in “mid-semester, winter and summer vacations”, “online and offline”. The conclusion remain robust after applied PSM-DID model. (3) The “Double Reduction” policy has a significantly increasing effect on the participation and expenditure of students’ families in “non-disciplinary” off-campus tutoring, and the findings does not pass the PSM-DID robustness test. (4) Heterogeneity analysis found that the “double reduction” policy significantly reduced the participation and expenditure of “disciplinary” off-campus tutoring for families of students with middle and low socioeconomic backgrounds, but had no significant impact on families of students with high socioeconomic backgrounds. The research findings of this article provide evidence that the “Double Reduction” policy goal has been achieved. The government should strengthen the supervision of “disciplinary” off-campus tutoring, further strengthen the supervision of “non-disciplinary” off-campus tutoring, intensify efforts to manage the “invisible variation” problem of “non-disciplinary” off-campus tutoring.

Key words: “Double Reduction” policy, participation in off-campus tutoring, off-campus tutoring expenditure, difference-in-differences model