Free alternative to cram courses
Print Edition
Green Pepper, a free course series taught by veteran teachers, takes aim at expensive “cram schools,” where parents enroll their children to improve their chances on exams that determine admission to the best schools.
“I think highly of the course,” said Zhao Jing, a teacher at East China Normal University. “Teachers are recruited from various schools, and their experience exceeds that of staff offering cram courses at tutoring businesses.”
Green Pepper is the brainchild of the Mission Working Committee of the Minhang Education Bureau. Its curriculum includes courses that prepare students for exams, including reading, writing, English, calligraphy and even robotics. The free courses began in 2016.
Huang Yi, Party secretary of the Mission Working Committee, said the idea for the lessons sprang from the needs of parents.
“Many parents enroll their children in weekend classes, hoping to give them a leg up in school exams,” he said. “But these tutoring institutions charge high fees and the results aren’t always that good. Parents wanted professional school teachers to conduct such courses.”
The course recruits volunteer teachers from across the district and holds classes on weekends in community centers. So far, some 300 volunteer teachers have taught 12 courses for over 400 students.
No fees are charged, and the lessons are open to all students. However, the popularity of the courses means it can be hard to get a seat.
Each class has two teachers. One stands at the front to deliver course content, while the other stands in the back, monitoring discipline.
In May, Green Pepper initiated its first live course online for students in a city in Jiangxi Province.
Courses like “how to get along with children” are given free for parents waiting outside classrooms for their children.
The only complaint: not enough seats.
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