In Depth: China Orders Random Class Placement to Break School Hierarchies

China is attempting to dismantle one of the most entrenched hierarchies in its schools: sorting students into academically ranked classes.

Under new policies rolled out in 2026, education authorities are mandating “sunshine class placement,” which requires students be assigned to classes randomly and teachers to be distributed evenly. The rules explicitly prohibit the creation of “key classes,” elite streams that have long concentrated top students and teaching resources.