Three semesters ago, Zhang Jiguang, principal of Wuchang Experimental Primary School, announced the establishment of the school's first "Lifelong Development Experimental Class." Students in this class from grades one to six would be exempted from all written homework while six additional "quality assignments" would be added. On January 29th, a reporter revisited the experimental primary school, and Zhang Jiguang smiled as he said, "It can be said that this class both protects the innate nature of children and ensures good academic performance."
**Looking Back: The "No Homework Class" is about Addition and Subtraction**
Starting in the second semester of 2009, Wuchang Experimental Primary School launched its first "No Homework Class." Principal Zhang Jiguang explained that setting up this class strictly adhered to the principle of voluntariness. Parents could voluntarily choose to enroll their children, and teachers for the class also volunteered.
In fact, the "No Homework Class" does not simply reduce homework; more accurately, it performs an "addition and subtraction" operation: written homework is reduced, but corresponding "quality assignments" are increased. The first quality assignment is "labor homework." All labor tasks at school, such as sweeping the floor and wiping tables, are entirely completed by the students themselves. After returning home in the evening, parents should arrange for their children to do appropriate household chores.
The second is "exercise homework." The children in the "Experimental Class" spend the 20 minutes before morning classes doing early morning exercises with their teacher. After returning home in the evening, they also engage in physical activities like skipping rope or doing sit-ups.
The third is "reading homework." Students should be able to give speeches on the Chinese and English books they read during their time at school. At home in the evenings, they should watch programs like *News Broadcast* (*Xinwen Lianbo*) and *Hundred Schools Forum* (*Baijia Jiangtan*).
The fourth is "thinking homework." Teachers and parents should encourage students to ask questions proactively, transforming passive learning into active learning.
The fifth is "organizational homework." A rotating system for class officers is implemented, ensuring all students have the opportunity to serve as class leaders.
The sixth is "appreciation homework." Taking art classes as an example, only one technique is learned per year, but once mastered, it benefits them for life. Additionally, each student aims to master the playing of one musical instrument over the course of six years.
**Head Teacher: My Students Won't Fall Behind Others**
Cai Qing is a stylishly dressed "trendy man" and also one of the head teachers of the "No Homework Class." Cai Qing introduced that although primary schools do not rank students by scores, according to the overall academic level analysis of each class, "In the first semester, our class ranked second in the entire grade, second again in the second semester, but this semester we've moved up to first place."
However, Cai Qing said, "In the lower grades, there isn't much difference yet, and their academic achievements still largely depend on the help of teachers and parents. But looking ahead, my students will definitely not fall behind others in terms of knowledge and ability."
**Principal: Children Not Doing Homework Aligns with Human Nature**
"Many people ask me what the secret is to running a no-homework class? It's actually very simple — we just want education to return to the essence of humanity," said Zhang Jiguang. "A child's nature is to play. Why make them do so much homework every day? Isn't that suppressing human nature?"
Zhang Jiguang believes that many people think exam-oriented education and quality education are a pair of "enemies," but in reality, these two are not conflicting. "Under China's current educational system, exams are inevitable. The key is achieving high scores through what kind of pathway."
**Experts: Applauding the "Zero Homework Class"!**
The "No Homework Class" has not only received support from parents but also affirmation from a large number of educational experts in society. Yao Guohua, a teacher from the Department of Philosophy at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, suggested: lecture times should be significantly shortened, and written homework should be reduced. Under China's current educational system, all practice sessions should be arranged within the classroom, leaving the remaining time for after-class reading. Letting children read every day under the drive of curiosity and thirst for knowledge helps form reading habits, which should become a lifelong learning method. This is the key to intellectual development and knowledge enrichment for elementary school students.