Parents put kindergartens to the test(3)

Moroxydine ABOB is a prescription antiviral used to treat flu. DING KAI / FOR CHINA DAILY

In 2012, abusive acts against children committed by two kindergarten teachers in Wenling, Zhejiang province, provoked public anger. At the time, two photos went online. In one of them, a kindergarten teacher grabs a boy's ears and lifts him as the boy screams in pain, while in the other photo, a child's mouth is taped shut, apparently by the teacher. An investigation discovered that the teacher was not licensed.

Yuan Xu, head of Guangxi College for Preschool Education in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, thinks that many private kindergartens have neglected their core function as educational institutions, and have become nothing more than sources of revenue for their owners.

Guangxi has 7,554 kindergartens, 6,900 of which are private. Of these, more than 4,000 are operating without licenses, according to official local statistics.

"More appropriate support in funding and teacher training should be given to kindergartens. Meanwhile, the authorities should make long-term plans for the expansion of kindergartens," Xiong said.

Baby boom predicted

Demographers predict that China will experience a baby boom in the coming years as a result of the recently announced relaxation of the family planning policy, which limits most families to one child. That, in turn, will result in greater demand for preschool education.

Meanwhile, a rising tide of evidence showcasing the benefits of proper early education has also spurred the government into action.

"The policy change will prompt a rise in the total population. And in the long term, the authorities should take far-sighted measures to cope with the rising population, especially the greater demand for kindergartens and schools," said Zhou Haiwang, deputy director of the Institute of Urban and Population Development Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.

In 2011, the State Council, China's cabinet, issued a statement about the development of preschool education. The move was an attempt to address the needs of pre-schoolage children for kindergarten admission and promote the development of preschool education in a scientific way.

The authorities also drew up a three-year action plan, under which governments at all levels must identify local preschool education resources, the current level of demand, and take measures to advance its development.

Under the plan, more than 90,000 kindergartens will be built, expanded or renovated nationwide, and more than 5 million children will be enrolled.

In addition, the central government will invest 50 billion yuan ($8 billion) during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) to boost the development of the preschool system in central and western rural areas to ensure that children in those regions will receive a proper education.

Earlier this year, Yan Qi, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, suggested that the government should amend the law and include preschool education in the compulsory education system to enable it to become fully government funded. Yan also suggested that the financial support provided for preschoolers should vary according to the prevailing conditions in the coastal and western regions to ensure a level playing field for children across the country.