The Ministry of Education has issued a sweeping set of 20 detailed prohibitions to regulate basic education, explicitly banning teachers from exploiting livestream tipping, knowledge-payment platforms or other means to covertly solicit money from parents by marketing anxiety-inducing content.

The negative list, released on Friday, is part of a broader push to reduce undue burdens on students and curb long-standing malpractices in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. The regulation sets clear red lines on everything from student homework and well-being to campus safety and enrollment integrity.

First and foremost, the guideline strictly prohibits any words or deeds that oppose the Party or socialism, vilify the Party or the country's image, defame the Party and State leaders or heroes and role models, advocate secessionism, distort history, or glorify aggression. Such wrongful views are prohibited from being spread via online platforms, forums and lectures, examination papers and test questions, teaching materials and reference books, electronic devices, or any other public means.

Several items directly tackle the heavy academic workload that has long concerned families. Schools are forbidden from teaching ahead of or beyond the national curriculum, and from squeezing class hours for subjects such as moral education, physical education, arts and labor skills. Homework must not exceed the total amount or duration prescribed by education authorities, and repetitive or punitive assignments are banned.

The rules also prohibit frequent testing that adds to students' burdens, and explicitly require schools to respect mandatory sleep times and protect recess periods, barring practices such as confining students to classrooms during breaks.

They also ban schools from starting the academic year early or delaying holidays beyond the unified academic calendar. Using weekends, winter or summer breaks for organized group instruction is strictly prohibited.

Teachers are barred from discriminating against students, and any form of corporal punishment, disguised corporal punishment, verbal abuse, sexual harassment, or other acts that degrade personal dignity is outlawed.

Schools are banned from organizing any form of exam for enrollment purposes or using competition certificates, social training results or grade certificates as admission criteria. Forcing or inducing students to purchase books, electronic products, teaching materials or stationery through designated channels is prohibited, as is the improper selection of textbooks and teaching aids.

The ministry called for innovative oversight methods, including leveraging the internet, big data and artificial intelligence to reduce administrative burdens at the grassroots level.

Local education authorities are urged to widely promote the negative list to ensure it reaches every school, principal and educator.