A Growing Trend for Young Adults in China
Hui Ruixue, a 28-year-old white-collar worker in Taiyuan, doesn't rush home after work. Instead, she heads to a sports center for a tennis class. This is thanks to the city's night school program, which has made her dream of learning tennis a reality.
Night school programs have gained immense popularity across China in recent years. Originally found in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, this educational model has expanded to smaller cities and towns, offering a diverse range of courses.
In 2024, Jiangxi province established 460 youth night school teaching sites, offering over 1,650 courses that benefited more than 42,000 young people. In Yunnan province, over 200,000 young people have participated in night school programs since 2014.
Today's night schools are more focused on cultivating adults' interests and hobbies, offering affordable and accessible courses. In Taiyuan, participants can attend nearly 15 hours of classes for just a few hundred yuan. These courses are primarily interest-based and experiential learning, such as photography, dance, painting, calligraphy, and musical instruments.
The popularity of night schools is partly attributed to the active support of local governments and civil society organizations. Designated intangible cultural heritage inheritors, university professors, musicians, and calligraphers are invited to give lectures to young people.
The growing spiritual and cultural needs of young people have helped night schools continue to thrive. The demand for night schools offered by public institutions often exceeds supply, but private organizations have stepped in to help meet demand.
Li Xin, who moved from Hangzhou to Taiyuan to run a night school, offers courses in coffee brewing, bartending, and sewing, all of which are very popular among young workers. He believes that attending night school after work will become a regular part of life for an increasing number of young people in China.
7 Comments
Marishka
Helping young adults discover new skills can lead to positive mental health benefits too. This trend is so important.
Pupsik
Kudos to the local governments for recognizing the need for creative and engaging educational opportunities!
Marishka
Initially exciting, this will quickly lose its novelty and people will realize it's not enriching their lives.
Pupsik
These programs are fantastic for community building and connecting with others who share similar interests.
Marishka
This is a luxury for a privileged few. Not everyone can afford to spend extra on night courses.
Leonardo
This trend is just another way to escape reality instead of tackling the real issues of unemployment and underemployment.
Donatello
Night schools are an excellent way for adults to foster new skills without the pressure of a traditional education system.