Gov't to address demand for kindergartens
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Authorities unveiled a plan to open more kindergartens after years of complaints from parents that they cannot find a spot for their kids without forking over huge sums of cash.
Liu Yandong, the State Councilor in charge of education, said during a national pre-school work conference in Beijing Wednesday that the government will do more reasonable planning when it comes to public kindergartens.
As a country with a large number of preschool aged kids - more than 100 million - China has long been plagued by a shortage of kindergartens.
"About one out of two kids has no access to a kindergarten when they are supposed to last year," Li Dashuang, a private kindergarten teacher in Beijing, told the Global Times.
Parents usually need to apply to public kindergartens a year or six months in advance.
"If parents have no connections with the kindergarten's management or do not offer a high amount of 'sponsor fees,' their kids will be rejected," a Beijing woman surnamed Liu told the Global Times.
Her 4-year-old son was forced to stay at home after being rejected by a kindergarten.
Private kindergartens are known for their high tuition. Wang Chunhong, also a mother in Beijing, told the Global Times that a public kindergarten usually charges less than 1,000 yuan ($150), while private ones usually demand between 2,000 and 4,000 yuan ($300 to $600).
Liu said the government would encourage reputable kindergartens to set up branches in different locations. Private kindergartens will get various forms of government support and financial assistance so their fees will be the same as the public ones, Liu added.
Li, the private kindergarten teacher, supported the idea to lower tuition if they receive government subsidies.
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