Inadequate Kindergartens
入园难 (rùyǔannán)
Related buzz words:"Educational system reform""入", ru, is a verb, it means "enter". "园", yuan, is a "park" or "garden". Here it refers to kindergarten. "难”, nan, means difficulty. “入园难” means Chinese parents are having difficulty enrolling their children in kindergartens.

China has been suffering from inadequate kindergartens during the past decade. However, this problem did not gain attention until the past half year because preschool is not covered by China’s free nine-year compulsory education system.

Though we have been complaining about a shortage of kindergartens, we are, in fact, complaining about the inadequate number of public kindergartens. Currently, there are numerous private kindergartens in Chinese cities. Compared with their public counterparts, they are expensive, low-quality and have a bad safety record. They are unable to provide a qualified educational service for pre-school children.

Another reason for the problem of inadequate kindergartens is the unbalanced development of preschools in cities and rural areas. Children in villages seldom get a chance to be well-educated before entering primary school.

Luckily, as part of its educational system reform, the Chinese government has already expressed determination to solve this problem. Building more public kindergartens, intensifying the training of preschool teachers, investing more in the pre-schooling sector, intensifying kindergarten security, regulating charges imposed on preschool education and five other measures will be taken by governments at various levels to ensure the development of China’s preschool education sector.

Related links:

We Shouldn\'t Pursue Convictions at the Cost of Justice

Seven Kids Murdered in a Shaanxi Kindergarten Attack