Students watch a video named the first class of this semester at a classroom in Shuangyushu No. 1 Primary School in Beijing, capital of China.File photo: Xinhua

Beijing issues detailed regulations on Tuesday to reduce burdens for students, including postponing morning class time, promising one hour for physical exercise and providing at least two-hour after-class services per day, in preparation for the new semester for about 1.4 million students in compulsory education.

The regulations were announced by Li Yi, a deputy director of Beijing Municipal Education Commission, at a press conference on the work in reducing homework burden and off-campus tutoring burden, following a conference of Ministry of Education on Monday.

"In the new semester, the key point of education and teaching work is to make teaching return to classrooms and teach from beginning-level knowledge," Li said.

The commission postpones students' morning class time, which regulates primary schools to start no earlier than 8:20 am and middle schools no earlier than 8:00 am.

Schools are required not to use morning and noon checking time and self-study classes for subject teaching, and shall not organize tutoring for students during winter and summer holidays, weekends and other holidays, he said.

Schools should not ask parents of students to check homework or require students to check and correct their own homework.

All schools in compulsory education stage, including private and public ones, should provide at least two hours off-campus services for all students per day from Monday to Friday. If there is no physical class on that day, students should also take part in exercise for one hour during off-campus hours.

The activities would include homework tutoring, exercise and comprehensive quality development such as arts, scientific activities, games, clubs and interest groups.