Out-of-school learning in big demand

Anxious parents giving kindergarten kids an early start in development

An elite public kindergarten in Shanghai's Xuhui district last month limited the times at which children can be picked up and taken to other educational institutions to further their learning before they attend primary school.

It said the only times they could be picked up by parents and guardians were after lunch or at a set hour in the afternoon to "avoid disturbing order".

Nearly 30 children, mainly in the final grade, are picked up after lunch every day from Monday to Thursday, and on Friday the number almost doubles, according to a security guard at the kindergarten, which has about 100 children in each grade.

"They are taken to classes at educational institutions. 'Interviews' for places at private primary schools will be held in May, and so the number of children being picked up this semester is obviously more than last," said the guard, speaking on condition of anonymity.

With the teaching of advanced content banned at kindergartens, parents who are anxious about limited opportunities to enroll their children in preferred schools are eager for additional classes.

The guard said it had become commonplace for kindergartners to attend for only half a day. "When one child jumps the gun in this long-distance race to learn, many others follow suit," he said.

Since 2010, the Ministry of Education has issued at least six notices, banning the advance teaching of any content from primary schools at kindergartens.

But such action, aimed at easing the academic burden on children, failed to relieve parental anxiety. It only made after-school classes at training institutions more popular, not only on weekends, but also on weekdays.

A report released by the Customer Evaluation Center affiliated to the Shanghai Association for Quality in 2017 showed that nearly three in four Shanghai children ages 4 to 6 were taking classes at institutions.

In Shanghai, all children have access to public primary and junior high school education without taking an exam, but private schools, which are generally believed to have better teachers and students, enroll pupils through "interviews".