Integrated macro and micro analyses of student burden reduction policies in China: call for a collaborative "family-school-society" model

The ultimate goal of China's student burden reduction policy is to promote quality education aligned with SDG 4. While China has pursued this through continuous implementation of burden reduction measures, prior research has not jointly examined macro-level policy dynamics and micro-level stakeholder (parent) views. This study analyzes 232 policy documents (1951–2021) and 23,567 parent survey responses across 29 provinces to provide a holistic view. Findings show the policy architecture follows a "Central leadership + Ministry of Education sovereignty + multi-department coordination" model, with relatively little attention to parents. There is a significant correlation between students' burden level and parents' attitudes toward the policies. The study calls for building a collaborative "family-school-society" sustainable education system in China.