Zhang Jiachen, a six-grader, returned to school with a self-study period tacked on to the daytime curriculum.

"I like it," said the Qibao Wenlai School student, "because I can finish my homework before 7pm, which is much quicker than doing it at home."

The study period is part of new Shanghai education directives aimed at reducing the workload of students and also accommodating the schedules of parents who work.

Qibao Wenlai, a new public school in Minhang District, began the service on the first day of school on September 1. The school, which has 240 sixth-graders, is operating out of Wenlai Middle School while its own campus is being constructed.

Regular classes at the school end at 4:25pm. After that, there are school activities, like chorus and hip-hop, science exploration or self-study periods where students can complete their homework and turn to teachers if they need some extra tutoring help.

"Before the semester began, we assessed students' ability, classifying them in six levels of Chinese, math and English, and then we set up tailored tutoring plans," said Xu Feng, executive principal of the school.

Xu said the after-hours enhancements include no new lessons nor tests.

"We are trying to address the needs of poorly performing students as well as provide incentives to high achievers who want to learn more, " he said.

The after-class activities include origami sessions to illustrate mathematics logic in an effort to develop spatial learning.

Boxed meals are served at the school for supper, before self-study periods are held from 6 to 7pm. Teachers are on duty during the sessions.

"Most teachers will be on those duties once or twice a week," said vice principal Tang Yingqi. "We will adopt a flexible work schedule and compensation for the extra work."

Tang said enrollment has been high. The first day went smoothly.

"I finished all my homework before supper, except for writing out newly learned words in Chinese," said student Zhang. "I'm sure I will be finished before 7pm."

The boy said he never finished homework at home before 8pm. So now he has some free time, and is free from the annoyance of grandparents continually coming in to ask how he is doing.

His classmate Chen Huiya said she is also happy to stay at school longer.

"I've finished my Chinese and math homework before supper, and will finish my English homework in the evening," she said. "After going home, I will have time to practice jumping rope for a competition I will be in."

Chen said when she did her homework at home, her mother was constantly hovering over her, nagging her to work faster.

"It's really not that pleasant," she said. "Sometimes when I asked her for help with problems I couldn't solve, she seemed annoyed. Now I can ask teachers if I have a problem with homework. They are always happy to help."

The self-study sessions have some basic rules. For example, if a student is found doing the homework for a classmate, both are expelled from the sessions.

An English teacher surnamed Yu told Shanghai Daily that the sessions allow her to help students more than before.

"If I can help them, then the extra hours are worthwhile," she said.

Parents seem happy with the changes.

A mother surnamed Ye was waiting for her daughter at the school gate around 6:45pm.

"I don't get home from work before 6pm and used to have to ask my parents to pick her up, which was not convenient for them," Ye said. "Now I can pick her up myself."

Ye said that tutoring her daughter on homework at home was not a particularly happy experience.

"She worked slowly, and when I found mistakes and asked her to correct them, quarrels sometimes occurred," she said. "And as her studies become more complicated, the limits of my help are tested. Teachers are professional educators and know how to tutor students efficiently."

Other middle schools are also offering after-school services.

One of them is the north branch of Jincai Middle School in the Pudong New Area, where all students have signed up to stay at school from one hour to 90 minutes after regular classes end.

In addition to homework periods and extra teacher tutoring, students can also engage in activities related to art, sports and science.

At about 5:40pm on the first day of the new school semester, eighth-grader Liu Yuanyuan and classmates were playing basketball. Not far away, seventh-graders were practicing shooting on the football field. In the table tennis room, all the 10 tables were in play.

There are also club activities in go, origami, chorus, Kunqu Opera and painting.

"These club activities have been popular among students," said Jin Weidong, principal of the school. "Previously, they were available only on Friday afternoons and students had to scramble for limited seats. We now have club activities every day."

At the Luwan Middle School in Huangpu District, similar services are also available.

According to Zhang Yi, principal of the school, only members of student clubs used to stay on campus after regular classes, but now all students can stay to do homework. Late Friday afternoons have been set aside for club activities.

Zhang said the school is canvassing parent feedback on the desirability of self-study periods in the evening.

Primary school opening hours have been slowly expanding over the years. In 2014, schools were directed to provide care serviced until 5pm to accommodate parents' work hours. In 2019, the city extended those hours to 6pm.

Lu Huiru, principal of the No. 1 Primary School affiliated to Shanghai Normal University, said the school has divided after-school services into three periods: homework or project-based learning; club activities; and games, reading and handicrafts.

"Parents now pay more attention to the all-round development of their children, including artistic accomplishments and physical health, so our arts and sport activities are very popular," said the principal. "We can address both the needs of working parents and the needs of children."