Online Tutoring Companies Take Small Steps to Protect Student Safety

Some online tutoring companies have recently made changes to their platforms to better protect and promote students’ safety, especially as it pertains to online privacy, behavioral issues and parental discipline. The changes come several months after EdSurge reported that many Americans who teach online English-language lessons to children in China have witnessed parents physically reprimand their children on screen during class—sometimes to a degree that experts say goes beyond discipline and crosses into child abuse. And they come as the Chinese government is seeking to regulate online education. In July, the Ministry of Education issued new guidelines for after-school online teaching programs—set to be enforced in 2020—specifying that all live lessons must be completed by 9 p.m. Beijing Time, in an effort to reduce academic pressure on students. The rules also stipulate that foreigners who teach through an online program must be certified to teach English as a second language and hold bachelor’s degrees.