Recently, the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau and the Guangdong Provincial Department of Education jointly issued the revised "Standards for the Establishment of Off-Campus Sports Training Institutions in Guangdong Province" (hereinafter referred to as the "Standards"), which came into effect immediately upon release. The trial version issued on September 13, 2022, is now repealed.

For parents who have enrolled their children in off-campus training programs, this is significant news worth careful reading—the new standards address many parental concerns, ranging from instructor qualifications and venue safety to fee supervision and training protocols.

Strengthening Fee Supervision and Security

To prevent situations where prepaid fees are difficult to recover due to training institutions suddenly shutting down, the new Standards implement a comprehensive set of measures regarding fee supervision.

Firstly, the Standards explicitly prohibit the use of "training loans" for paying course fees. Institutions are not allowed to collect prepaid course fees spanning more than three months or 60 class hours at a time, with the amount capped at 5,000 yuan. This fundamentally limits the possibility of institutions collecting excessively long-term prepayments, thereby reducing financial risks for parents.

Secondly, regarding fund custodial mechanisms, the Standards require training institutions to independently select a bank within their local city that meets third-party fund custody requirements. They must sign a custody agreement and open a dedicated prepaid fund custody account specifically for holding students' prepaid fees.

Furthermore, the Standards encourage a "pay-after-learning" model. This approach reverses the traditional prepayment logic, where the institution provides services first, and parents pay for actual class hours after the session. This can effectively mitigate the risk of institutions absconding with funds.

Mandatory Certification for Instructors

The qualifications and professional competence of instructors are directly linked to training safety and quality.

The Standards require that coaches be familiar with the teaching and training principles of their sport and the physical and mental development characteristics of young people. They must hold at least one of the following certificates: a sports coach professional title certificate, a social sports instructor vocational qualification certificate, a sports skill level certificate issued by a national single-sport association, a physical education teacher qualification certificate, a sports vocational skill level certificate issued by an evaluation agency recognized by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, or a relevant certificate recognized by provincial-level or higher sports administrative departments. Personnel engaged in high-risk sports must also possess the nationally mandated professional qualifications.

More importantly, the Standards implement a strict "one-strike" policy against individuals with records of criminal offenses such as sexual assault, abuse, or trafficking. This aligns closely with contemporary requirements for the protection of minors and represents the most fundamental safety baseline.

Mandatory Equipment for Emergency Response

Sports training has its unique risks—accidental injuries during exercise are inevitable, especially in high-intensity, confrontational sports where emergencies like sudden cardiac arrest are not unheard of. Previously, some smaller institutions might not have even stocked basic first-aid supplies, let alone professional emergency equipment.

The Standards are pioneering in this area nationally, explicitly requiring venues that conduct physical fitness or confrontational sports training to be equipped with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). They must also stock conventional medical first-aid supplies, develop medical emergency plans for accidental injuries, and establish emergency contact protocols with nearby hospitals.

The AED is often called a "lifesaving device." By mandating AED provision at the provincial standard level, Guangdong not only demonstrates a high regard for the life safety of young people but also provides a reference example for other regions across the country.

Additionally, regarding mandatory venue conditions, the Standards set differentiated requirements for per-student floor area for different sports: chess and card training programs require a minimum of 3 square meters per student per class session, while other training programs require a minimum of 5 square meters per student per class session. Training areas should also maintain sufficient separation to ensure safety and prevent interference between sessions.