Shaanxi bans written homework for grades 1, 2

The education authority of Shaanxi province issued a document recently requiring that primary schools in the province not give written homework to pupils in grades one and two to prevent myopia, Huashang Daily reported on Thursday.

The Shaanxi provincial education department also issued a guidance on Basic Knowledge and Prevention Requirements of Myopia for Primary and Middle School Students, in which a number of suggestions were made, such as that students should sleep at least 10 hours a night, and their vision should be checked at least twice during each school term.

Pupils and some parents welcomed the measures in the document but some parents considered that written homework helps enhance the memory of knowledge learned in school.