What Age Do Kids Start Preschool in China?
In China, preschool education is mainly concentrated in the urban and developed areas. Usually, children under the age of six attend preschool. However, it also depends on the type of preschool. Children aged three and younger go to a nursery. Kindergarten is for children between the ages of three to six years old. According to Chinese government regulations established in 1981, children who attend kindergarten are grouped into three categories. Three-year-olds are identified as juniors, while four-year-olds are classified as middle, and seniors are children who are at the age of five.
What Topics are Learnt at Preschools in China?
Younger children are provided with physical care and basic teaching in nurseries. Therefore, nurses are placed in nurseries instead of teachers. These children are provided with many opportunities to learn to express themselves, while developing their intellectual and motor skills through fun activities and games. Children also learn moral values while interacting with their caregivers and peers.
Most kindergarten in China adhere to a national curriculum which incorporates subjects such as languages, art, math, music and many others. For instance, children learn to read and write the basic Chinese characters and pinyin, known as the phonetic romanization of the Chinese language. However, these subjects are usually taught to children five years of age and older because it serves as pre-primary education. Parents who would like their children to be better prepared and excel in primary school are selective about the kindergarten that they select for their child.
Types of Preschools in China
Preschools in China have improved over the years, particularly private preschools. There are more private preschools in comparison to public preschools. Many rules and regulations for kindergartens have also been made by the government and one of the important regulations is that preschool teachers are being put through proper training as the teaching qualification of preschool educators are taken very seriously.
The types of preschools in China depend on the location. If you happen to be in developed cities such as Shanghai or Beijing, you have many options to choose from and these preschools may offer part-time classes, full-time classes, and even a boarding option. You have the option to choose between privately-owned or government-owned preschools.
How Do You Apply to Preschools in China?
Parents can apply to preschools in China by visiting the school’s website to browse through information such as the intake dates and fees which are displayed. If parents need more information, they can always reach out to a school representative via email or phone.
What are the Average Fees for Preschools in China?
In large cities such as Beijing, the average fees for a public preschool education is around 500 Yuan (US$78) per month while private preschools costs between 5,000 Yuan (US$780) to 20,000 Yuan (US$3,130) per month.
References
- https://www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/earlyed/read_vaughan.html
- https://www.chinaeducenter.com/en/cedu/preedu.php#:~:text=Pre%2Dschool%20education%20is%20an,and%20seasonal%20kindergartens%20in%20addition.
- https://supchina.com/2017/04/14/private-kindergartens-booming-business-china/
- https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201901/02/WS5c2c0a92a310d91214051f79.html#:~:text=Private%20kindergartens%20charge%20fees%20ranging,yuan%20a%20month%2C%20he%20said
