The phrase "onerous requirements" means difficult or demanding tasks or rules that are burdensome and can be quite challenging to fulfill. Full definition
Sanctions showed up in 2011 when the Department of Education mentioned the common core in requirements for regulatory relief from some of the more onerous requirements of No Child Left Behind. (educationnext.org)
In 2011, it started granting waivers to states to free them from the more onerous requirements of the law in exchange for embracing Obama's policies, such as evaluating teachers in part based on student test scores. (washingtonpost.com)
The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has issued a press release calling for flexibility and relief from the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address the unintended consequences of onerous requirements for federal school meal programs in the Healthy, Hunger - Free Kids Act with the start of National School Lunch Week on Oct. 13. (nsba.org)