BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education (MOE) has made progress in regulating after-school training institutions, the People's Daily newspaper reported Wednesday.

An overhaul by the ministry covered 401,000 after-school training institutions last year, targeting unlicensed operation and extracurricular programs that put students under too much pressure.

According to the newspaper, nearly 270,000 after-school institutions were found to have problems, and 98.9 percent of them have completed rectifications.

Education authorities will focus on curbing after-school courses that are too advanced for the school's normal curriculum, causing unnecessary competition among students, Chen Dongsheng, an official with the MOE, was quoted by the paper as saying.