Generally, Buke in high schools of mainland China are of two types:
Extra mandatory classes. In most cases, high schools arrange such classes for students on weekends and holidays, which may follow the ordinary schedule; or in some areas, students will be asked to study in school for extended hours. In a typical Chinese test-prep factory, Maotanchang High School, students will have their three-hour free time on Sunday afternoon every week ).
Cram school. The main feature of private tutoring is that it is optional, depending on factors such as personal willingness, study situations, and family economic conditions. Yu suggests that private tutoring mainly consists of three forms “ one-to-one private tutoring, small groups of students with one tutor, and private tutoring in a large class setting.”
Reasons
;Examination-oriented educational system and result-oriented educational ideology ;Unbalanced and insufficient distribution of educational resources.
Related legislation
Almost every year the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China issues official documents which emphasize the prohibition of any forms of Buke organized by state-run schools. In Opinions Concerning the Implementation of the Compulsory Education Law to further regulate which was issued after the emendation of the Compulsory Education Law in 2006, the Ministry of Education points out that it is banned for teachers in state-run schools to encourage either intramural or extramural Buke. Teacher participation in the extramural Buke in their part-time is also strongly opposed. Despite the prohibition of Buke by state-run schools, there is no national regulation for Buke organized by private schools or educational establishments, however the regulations made by some local governments at different levels did affect them. In February 2015, Wenzhou City Board of Education issued Disposal Options of Wenzhou for Primary and Secondary School Teachers in Paid Buke, for teacher’s attendance in paid Buke is officially considered unprofessional conduct. For the first time, this regulation related to teachers in private-run primary and secondary schools, hence it is called “the toughest regulation on Buke”. According to a clerk working in an educational establishment, the teachers in Wenzhou no longer attend extramural Buke after the implementation of the disposal options.
Debate
While some parents, student and educators support buke for the opportunity to retain learning through holidays and to work out difficult problems for which there is not time during normal classes, others oppose the practice as overly stressing academic performance and increasing stress on students.
