The Quiet Pressure of School Guard Duty in China

What parents are being asked to do

It has been reported that parents across China are increasingly being asked to perform “guard duty” at their children’s schools—standing at gates, supervising drop-offs and pick-ups, and enforcing campus rules on behalf of staff. Sixth Tone has documented how this routine, often unpaid, task has become a visible source of stress for families, especially for mothers who shoulder the lion’s share of the work. Who watches the school when teachers and administrators lean on parents to take responsibility for day-to-day safety and order?

Everyday burden, wider consequences

The duty sounds simple but collides with modern working life. It has been reported that many parents lose work time or face friction with employers when required to rotate onto these shifts. For Western readers unfamiliar with China’s local governance: schools and neighborhood committees often rely on informal volunteer labor to fill gaps in supervision, a practice made more visible since the pandemic when concerns about on-campus safety rose. Critics say this arrangement reinforces gendered expectations and shifts state responsibilities onto families.

Policy context and political backdrop

This practice sits against a broader policy backdrop of grassroots governance and community mobilization. Beijing has pushed for stronger school safety and community management in recent years, and local authorities frequently call on families to contribute to implementation. It has been reported that some parents have asked for formal scheduling, clearer rules, or compensation, while schools and education bureaus (教育局) stress the necessity of parental involvement for children’s welfare. The tension raises a familiar question for policymakers: how to balance collective safety and social stability with the private cost borne by ordinary households?