Teenagers discover lessons beyond the classroom

When teenagers leave school, the lessons of life do not stop — but their daily routines, friendships and sense of belonging can quickly fall away. For some, the challenge is finding a new place to connect, learn and grow.

Ren Zhuxi, a Tsinghua University graduate and founder of Beijing-based Yichu Academy, believes these young people need a place beyond the traditional classroom and family environment — a "third space" where they can reconnect with others and explore their own paths.

Since founding the community in 2019, Ren estimates that it has supported nearly 200 young people who have taken a break from school.

"Each young person needs individualized support, but there are also common underlying needs," Ren told China Daily ahead of her participation in La Nuit des idees (Night of Ideas), an event organized by the French embassy in Beijing.

Ren said family dynamics and a mismatch between conventional education and young people's needs can both contribute to school refusal. Once students leave school, she added, they often find few social support networks outside their families.

At Yichu, the approach goes beyond helping students return to the classroom. Ren describes it as "social learning": young people explore practical questions about relationships, money, daily life and what gives their lives meaning, while learning from peers, teachers and adults with different experiences.

The aim is to help them build relationships based on mutual support rather than competition, judgment or instruction.

Progress, she said, should not be measured solely by whether a student returns to school. About a year after leaving the community, roughly 90 percent of those who had moved on were exploring their own paths, she said. Some returned to school, while others pursued vocational education, prepared for examinations independently, studied languages or entered the workforce.

Ren also believes the pressures facing young people cannot be addressed through counseling or medication alone. Professional help may be necessary, but changes in their everyday environments and relationships are also important. "Children need to see that people can communicate as equals, express themselves honestly and learn in different ways," she said.