Nearly 60,000 preschool-age children of registered Beijing permanent residents lack access to education, according to a "Report on the Development of the Rule of Law in Beijing" published Thursday.

The report, co-written by the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, the municipal procuratorial committee, and the municipal legal system office, gives a full introduction and analysis of current preschool education situation in Beijing. It says at least 300 more preschools and kindergartens are needed provide ample access to Beijing's students.

Li Xin, a professor at Beijing Capital Normal University, said the Beijing Preschool Education Ordinance of 2001, of which he was the chief editor, does not take into account changes in the current preschool environment which have resulted in insufficient educational resources and non-standardized charges. "The Ordinance needs to clarify a new preschool system and relevant government responsibilities," Li said.

By 2011, a total of 311,000 children had registered in 1,305 preschools and 302 branch preschools with independent legal agents in Beijing, 1,010 of which are government-run, Li said.

According the report, among registered permanent households, the number of children aged three to six will reach 540,000 in next three years, however, there are only 21,400 preschool teachers so far in the capital city, with 14,600 more still needed.

Li said that despite increases in educational funding over the past few years, government investment in preschool education is still comparatively low, as preschool is not considered compulsory education. By 2010, the municipal budget for educational funds stood at 80.6 billion yuan (US$1.3 million), with preschool education only accounting for 1.33 percent.

Li said that the 2001 Ordinance hasn't clarified the responsibilities of government, society and family in regard to preschool education. The cost of public preschools is undertaken by the government, while privately-run preschools operate based on revenue from tuitions. The latter has lead to arbitrary changes in school conditions.

An official from the municipal educational committee said that Beijing started a three-year action plan in 2011 to allocate 1.2 billion yuan for improving preschool conditions in rural areas. The plan is expected to cover more than 90 percent of children of preschool age in the capital city in three years.

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