A Five-Dimensional Analysis of the Substantive Freedom Effects of the "Double Reduction" Policy

Abstract

Existing research on the "Double Reduction" policy has predominantly concentrated on quantifying the extent of academic burden reduction, thereby overlooking the policy's broader implications for individuals' substantive development opportunities. This paper addresses this critical gap by introducing Amartya Sen's capability approach and, more specifically, his framework of instrumental freedoms. A five-dimensional evaluation model is constructed, encompassing economic conditions, social opportunities, protective safeguards, transparency guarantees, and political participation, to systematically examine the comprehensive effects of the "Double Reduction" policy on students' substantive freedoms. The study reveals that while the policy has achieved notable progress in alleviating economic burdens on families, significant shortcomings persist in the dimensions of social opportunities and protective safeguards, manifesting as capability development shortfalls and inadequate safety net provisions. Furthermore, the interrelationships among these five dimensions uncover a notable tension: the reduction of economic burdens does not automatically translate into enhanced student capabilities; rather, within the context of the urban-rural divide, it has inadvertently deepened latent educational inequities. This paper argues that future educational governance must transition from a paradigm of burden control to one centered on freedom enhancement. By restructuring the quality framework of after-school services and reinforcing institutional support mechanisms for disadvantaged populations, the "burden reduction" initiative can be meaningfully transformed into a process of genuine capacity building, thereby advancing educational equity and holistic student development.