BEIJING -- Chinese primary and junior high school students will no longer be overloaded with homework given by either teachers or after-school training institutions.

Primary schools should ensure that students in the first and second grades do not have written homework, and those in higher grades complete their homework within no more than one hour, according to a circular issued by the Ministry of Education.

Junior high school students will spend a maximum of one and a half hours on their written homework each day, read the circular, calling for an appropriate amount of homework even for weekends as well as summer and winter holidays.

After-school training institutions are prohibited from giving any homework to primary and junior high school students, according to the circular.