Education authorities in the eastern Zhejiang province are seeking public opinion on a draft guideline that would allow students to reject rigorous school assignments — though its practical application may not be so straightforward. Published Monday, the draft document stipulates that primary and middle school students shall not face punishment if they are unable to complete their assignments by 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively — though it’s unclear how schools would monitor these deadlines. The draft also listed 32 other rules aimed at addressing the academic burden many children face, and which had “harmed their physical and psychological health,” according to the document. The provincial education department added that schools and parents should cooperate to ensure that children get enough sleep and at least one hour of outdoor activity each day. Zhejiang’s guideline comes after the Ministry of Education, along with eight other government agencies, jointly issued a notice last December aimed at relieving school-related stress. In recent years, education regulators have introduced policies collectively dubbed “happy education” to reduce students’ workloads, though parents and experts have suggested the rules inevitably put more pressure on parents and private institutions.