The trend of online preschool education should be strictly controlled
Expert interpretation of Beijing's plan to stop training and education mobile applications for preschool children
□ Our reporter Chen Lei
Recently, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Education issued the "Notice on Further Doing a Good Job in the Filing and Management of Educational Mobile Internet Applications (Draft for Comment)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Draft for Comments"), which states, "Educational mobile applications for preschool children's training. Always stop running".
It is worth noting that in July last year, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Further Reducing the Burden of Students' Homework and Off-campus Training in Compulsory Education", requiring all localities to make overall plans for preschool children aged 3 to 6 years old. "Online training for preschool children shall not be carried out".
According to experts interviewed by the "Rules of Law Daily" reporter, Beijing's move is in line with the "double reduction" policy and reflects the trend of strictly controlling the online teaching content of preschool education.
Double reduction continues to preschool
Correcting the elementaryization of preschool education
"If all the apps are taken off the shelves, my son won't have to look at his phone every day." On the morning of February 25, Lei Min (pseudonym), a Beijing citizen, told reporters in a fast food restaurant near Guangshun North Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing.
Lei Min, 38, works in a public institution and has a 5-year-old son.
For her son's cognitive enlightenment, at the recommendation of a friend, she downloaded a Happy Enlightenment App marked for children aged 3 to 6 years old.
Lei Min found that his son liked the content of this app very much. He often watched animated short films and laughed non-stop, and sometimes imitated the language and actions of animated short films at home.
After downloading the app, the reporter clicked to enter, and a childish voice came.
After being prompted by the App, the reporter set the baby's age to 5 years old.
After entering the main page, randomly click on the "Dinosaur World" section and play an episode of animation. You can see that the animation of more than 2 minutes has been watched by more than 69 million people.
In the face of this app, Lei Min is somewhat conflicted. On the one hand, the animation content in it brings joy to his son and he also learns something; on the other hand, his son is obviously attracted, and he has to watch for a long time with her mobile phone every day. time.
The reporter found that there are still many apps for preschool children, mainly focusing on children's literacy, pinyin, and English.
In response to this kind of educational mobile application for preschool children, Beijing plans to completely stop it.
On February 16, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission issued a draft for comments, proposing that "educational mobile applications for preschool children's training will all stop running."
In this regard, Cai Hailong, deputy dean of the Education Policy and Law Research Institute of Capital Normal University, said that after the introduction of the "double reduction" policy in July 2021, how to effectively reduce the burden of students' homework and off-campus training, and achieve high-quality development of education has become my country's education system. important goal of reform and development.
The formulation of the draft for comments can be seen as the continuation and connection of the "double reduction" policy in the field of preschool education.
Cai Hailong believes that this means that the supervision of the field of preschool education is being strengthened, and the field of preschool education, which was once plagued by marketization, is gradually returning to its essential attributes as a social welfare undertaking.
Zhou Xiang, an associate professor at the School of Education of Renmin University of China, believes that Beijing's move is in line with the national "double reduction" policy orientation, reflecting the government's fundamental solution to the pressure of academic and academic burdens inside and outside the school, resolutely overcoming and correcting the "primary school" tendency of preschool education and strengthening The country's determination to protect minors, especially preschool children.
Education mobile application policy released
Regulation is gradually institutionalized and standardized
The reporter combed the context of the government's policies on educational mobile applications and found that my country's supervision of educational apps has undergone a process of gradual strengthening, institutionalization and standardization.
In December 2018, the General Office of the Ministry of Education issued the "Notice on Strictly Prohibiting Harmful Apps from Entering Primary and Secondary Schools", requiring all localities to establish a review system for the entry of learning mobile apps into campuses, and strictly prohibit pornographic violence, online games, commercial advertisements and violations of education and teaching. Mobile applications of laws and other content have entered the campus of primary and secondary schools.
"This shows that the focus of the governance of educational apps is to prevent harmful apps from entering the campus." Cai Hailong said.
In July 2019, six departments including the Ministry of Education issued the "Implementation Opinions on Regulating Off-Campus Online Training", which put forward clearer regulatory requirements for the implementation of a filing review system and strengthening of comprehensive governance for educational mobile applications that carry out online training.
In August of that year, in response to the rapid development of educational mobile applications, eight departments including the Ministry of Education issued the "Opinions on Guiding and Regulating the Orderly and Healthy Development of Educational Mobile Internet Applications", requiring that while establishing a filing system, strengthen industry norms, Establish a coordination system, expand supervision channels, and strengthen assessment and accountability to further improve the corresponding supervision system.
Three months later, the General Office of the Ministry of Education issued the "Administrative Measures for the Filing of Educational Mobile Internet Applications", which clearly required that providers of educational mobile applications should complete the Internet Information Service (ICP) filing and network security grade protection grading filing. , for provider filing.
Educational mobile applications that are independently developed, independently selected and required by higher authorities shall be filed with users.
Cai Hailong believes that after 2019, as more and more education and training are conducted online, the supervision of educational mobile applications that carry out online training has gradually become the main goal of governance.
In March 2021, the Ministry of Education issued the "Guiding Opinions on Vigorously Promoting the Scientific Linkage between Kindergartens and Primary Schools", which clearly requires the implementation of relevant national regulations and that off-campus training institutions shall not train preschool children in violation of regulations.
In July of the same year, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Further Reducing the Burden of Homework and Off-campus Training for Students in Compulsory Education". Coordinate the management of off-campus training for preschool children aged 3 to 6 years old and ordinary high school students. Online training for preschool children is not allowed. Carry out offline subject (including foreign language) training.
According to the draft for comments, not only subject training education apps for preschool children, but also non-discipline training education apps for preschool children will cease to operate.
"After 2021, as the 'double reduction' policy puts forward requirements for deepening the governance of off-campus training institutions, the supervision of educational apps will be further strengthened." Cai Hailong said that the draft released by Beijing this time is in the national policy. On this basis, the filing scope of educational apps was further clarified, and different regulatory requirements were put forward for discipline training apps and non-discipline training apps according to the work requirements of “double reduction”, which is conducive to strengthening the supervision of educational mobile applications and improving education. Mobile application service quality and assurance level.
Set up professional organization identification software
Explore the establishment of industry self-discipline mechanism
According to the draft for comments, Beijing will strengthen collaborative supervision. The Beijing Municipal Education Commission will take the lead in the management of educational mobile applications, be responsible for overall planning and coordination, and accept relevant social complaints and reports.
For the collaborative supervision part of the draft design, the detailed suggestions can be refined from two aspects, that is, the government strictly controls from the supply side, and parents make rational choices from the user side.
In Zhou's view, the Internet itself is a new force, and it is necessary to take full advantage of the advantages brought by technology and prevent it from destroying the laws of education.
In the future, it is necessary to improve the accuracy of education mobile Internet filing according to the development trend of educational applications in the Internet environment.
"The online trend of preschool education teaching content should be strictly controlled, offline solutions for preschool education should be promoted and improved, home-school cooperation and social organization participation should be encouraged, and more offline education activities should be carried out," Zhou said. Strengthen resource supervision, set up governance committees involving experts, managers, parents and other parties to identify and evaluate emerging software.
Cai Hailong believes that there are two urgent points that need to be clarified in the implementation of the draft for comments: on the one hand, the government functional departments and other relevant responsible entities that are legally responsible for management must fully perform their functions, establish a collaborative governance mechanism, and through innovative governance methods and On the other hand, necessary industry self-discipline mechanisms should be established to give full play to the positive role of industry associations in formulating and maintaining the industry’s ethical standards and self-discipline conventions, and explore the establishment of developer credit evaluation, information Announcement and other reward and punishment mechanisms have formed a fertile ground for the self-discipline mechanism of the industry.