Key facts
- Academic tutoring participation dropped significantly post-crackdown.
- Nonacademic tutoring participation also saw a decline.
- Average family spending on tutoring decreased minimally.
China's campaign to curb private tutoring has significantly reduced student participation in both academic and nonacademic classes, according to a new study by Peking University. However, the crackdown has done little to equalize family spending or access to educational services. The share of students receiving academic tutoring fell to 20.1% in 2025 from 38.1% in 2017. Participation in nonacademic programs, such as arts and sports, declined to 16.7% from 22.4%. Despite these drops in participation, average tutoring spending across all students decreased by only 11.8%, falling to 2,873 yuan ($430) from 3,257 yuan.