China Bans Elite Classes in Compulsory Education: Major School Reform for 2026

China's Ministry of Education has issued a sweeping directive banning all forms of elite classes in compulsory education, including "key classes," "experimental classes," and "fast/slow track" groupings. The policy is part of the 2026 "Sunshine Enrollment" initiative.

Key Provisions

Uniform Class Assignment

• All students must be assigned through randomized class placement
• Teachers must be equally distributed across classes
• Class assignment plans, processes, and results must be publicly disclosed
• Once assigned, classes cannot be changed without authorization

Enrollment Restrictions

• Schools cannot conduct early enrollment, over-enroll, or recruit across regions
• Banned: "intention registration," "pre-admission agreements," and "guaranteed class placement"
• No "school selection fees" or "intention deposits" allowed
• Enrollment must not be linked to donations or education fund contributions

Expanded Scope

For the first time, senior high school admissions are included in the initiative, extending governance beyond compulsory education into the full K-12 pipeline.

Special Programs Curtailed

All special enrollment programs (including "early talent" programs) now require provincial-level approval. Youth football development pilots must stay within approved scope.

Resource Planning

Schools must build demographic prediction databases and conduct annual assessments of school capacity, teacher allocation, and equipment to ensure balanced resource distribution.

Analysis

This represents the most aggressive equalization policy in Chinese education in decades. The move addresses persistent social frustration about educational inequality while raising questions about:

• Whether random assignment serves gifted students well
• How to maintain academic excellence alongside equity
• Implementation challenges in practice
• Impact on private tutoring and supplementary education markets