Afterschool training institutions should not charge fees for more than three months in one go, according to the guideline published by the State Council in August. But in spite of the regulation, it's still common for training institutions to collect fees well in advance, sometimes even a whole year's.

This practice of prepaid tuition fees has not only increased parents' financial burdens, more importantly, if the institutions shut down abruptly, it is hard for parents to get their money back. Moreover, the institutions get interest on the money collected or simply use the money as capital to expand their business. Therefore, it's necessary to strengthen regulations for such training institutions. However, the guideline has not produced the desired effect.

To curb the practice, parents' awareness of risks should be improved and they should refuse to prepay tuition fees. They may also file a complaint with relevant government departments when they are asked to pay fees for more than three months.

In reality, it's hard to supervise training institutions as many of them are hidden in residential compounds. In spite of this, the authorities should take effective measures to regulate the market, protect parents' interests and reduce students' burdens.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article published in Legal Daily on November 9)