Starting in 2024, Jiangsu province will implement Spring and Autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools. The 2026 Government Work Report mentioned the coordinated arrangement of these breaks, with numerous delegates and committee members expressing strong support for their implementation. How can every family better share this time and make the most of the Spring and Autumn breaks? Representatives and committee members have offered their suggestions—emphasizing that these breaks are not simply an "extension of vacation," but a period to be utilized fully and effectively. Qi Yundong, a member of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Party General Branch Secretary of Nanjing Langya Road Primary School, believes the core value of these breaks lies in guiding students from the enclosed campus to the open society and nature, transforming urban resources into educational resources, and encouraging students to engage in deep practical learning. "It is recommended that the education department take the lead, collaborating with cultural and tourism, sports, technology, parks, and cultural relic units to jointly design and publish a high-quality 'Jiangsu Youth Spring and Autumn Break Social Practice Activity Recommendation Atlas'," Qi Yundong suggested. For example, the atlas could categorize exploration content into urban discovery, nature education, and career initiation, planning projects for children such as "Museum Treasure Hunts," "Ming City Wall Hiking," and "Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop Experiences," while simultaneously organizing activities like ecological observation on Purple Mountain, rural farming experiences, and park orienteering. Concurrently, some university laboratories, high-tech enterprise exhibition centers, and traditional craft workshops should be opened for short-term study tours for students. Corresponding adjustments are also needed in the assessment orientation of holiday assignments. Qi Yundong told reporters that to prevent practical activities from devolving into parent-assigned tasks or competitions over materials, it is advised to promote the electronic platform "Jiangsu Primary and Secondary School Student Social Practice Growth File." Students would only need to briefly record their participation process and personal reflections using text, images, or audio, focusing on the experience rather than the outcome; the education department could then conduct sample evaluations to ensure activities "improve quality" without "increasing burden." "The key to the success of the Spring and Autumn breaks lies in whether a positive educational ecosystem can be built with social support, family participation, and student autonomy, making it truly a distinctive 'third semester' that nourishes student growth," Qi Yundong said.
While children are on break, parents often feel conflicted; such a Spring and Autumn break is not what students truly desire. Wu Tiejun, a member of the Jiangsu Provincial CPPCC Committee and Party Committee Secretary of Jiangsu Zhenjiang No.1 Middle School, stated that the implementation of the breaks requires a multi-faceted effort. It is essential to fully unleash the policy's benefits to meet student development needs, while also addressing practical difficulties faced by parents through comprehensive supporting measures, ensuring this beneficial policy is effectively realized. To this end, Wu Tiejun recommended comprehensively building a collaborative "school-family-community" education system. At the school level, it is necessary to adhere to the philosophy of "open-door schooling, open-minded schooling, and open-enrollment schooling," maximizing classroom teaching efficiency during school hours, strengthening the cultivation of students' independent learning abilities, and ensuring that the reduction in teaching time does not affect educational quality, thereby genuinely alleviating parental concerns. Simultaneously, it is important to acknowledge the practical challenges dual-income families face regarding childcare during breaks and to find solutions to the childcare dilemma. Enterprises and institutions with the capacity should be encouraged to adopt "parental Spring and Autumn breaks" or flexible working systems, guided through measures like tax incentives, to promote quality time between parents and children. Wu Tiejun expressed that implementing the Spring and Autumn break policy would allow parents more time to accompany their children, supporting their physical and mental healthy growth through parent-child activities and connecting with nature. Particularly for middle school students, the breaks offer a valuable opportunity for social practice, study tours, and volunteer services. "Education in the AI era is no longer just about imparting knowledge and skills; it更需要 guides students to understand society, connect with nature, and develop good character, habits, and firm determination."
"This year's Jiangsu Provincial Government Work Report mentioned the coordinated arrangement of Spring and Autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools and staggered paid leave for employees. As a tourism industry professional, I feel very encouraged," said Yu Dunde, a representative to the Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress and CEO of Nanjing Tuniu Technology Co., Ltd. (Tuniu). He stated that Spring and Autumn breaks for primary and secondary schools are good news for students, parents, and the tourism industry alike. Yu Dunde believes that trialing these breaks offers multiple benefits. Firstly, the weather in spring and autumn is pleasant with suitable temperatures, making it more conducive for travel compared to winter and summer. Secondly, spring and autumn are traditionally off-peak travel seasons; establishing breaks during these times facilitates more families traveling during off-peak periods, offering better value for money, avoiding travel peaks, and resulting in better service and experiences. For the tourism industry, such an arrangement can better balance demand peaks and troughs, achieving a more balanced allocation of service resources throughout the year and avoiding the negative impacts of excessively slow off-seasons and overly busy peak seasons. Regarding specific implementation, Yu Dunde suggested that the total annual vacation time for students could remain unchanged, with individual schools autonomously arranging the specific break dates within a certain timeframe to stagger the holiday schedule. Furthermore, once students have Spring and Autumn breaks, parents can plan their own paid annual leave around their children's schedules, thereby stimulating domestic consumption. Yu Dunde also mentioned that this year's Spring Festival holiday lasted 9 days, and Tuniu has observed relatively strong travel demand in recent bookings. Subsequently, Tuniu will also develop more products suitable for Spring and Autumn break travel, especially products tailored to the characteristics of primary and secondary school students, to meet diverse demands.
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