Parents fret over preschool classes
March 28, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PARENTS of young children are torn between pushing too hard when it comes to extracurricular classes and worrying their child may "lose at the starting line" if they fall behind other kids. Liang Yiwen examines the dilemma.
Bao Bao, a three-year-old, is about to attend preschool this autumn. He can already read scores of Chinese characters thanks to his grandmother, who teaches him.
"The early bird catches the worm," says Bao Bao's grandmother Yan Yunqiu. "Boys are very naughty. They learn much slower than girls."
Yan drew inspiration from another boy's preschool experience. "My sister advised me to start early training because her grandson found it hard to keep up with the girls in literacy skills."
She taught her grandson some Chinese characters every day after supper with the aid of some colorful cards.
Under the influence of the theory - "don't let children lose at the starting line," the competition for elite primary school openings is extremely fierce in China.
To make children stand out in primary school enrollment, many parents spend lavishly on preschool extracurricular courses, both academic and art courses.
Some parents download the latest education gadgets online to teach their children at home.
Many toddlers can now read hundreds of Chinese characters and answer calculation questions before going to primary school. Meanwhile, they can also play piano, chess or tennis well.
A survey issued by the Shanghai Education Commission found that about two-thirds of children attend extracurricular classes held by kindergartens or social institutes.
Nearly half of the children took art courses including painting and dancing. About 22 percent studied math and 21 percent English. Nearly 11 percent attended sports classes.
òA child needs to master at least 1,000 Chinese words and hundreds of English words to win a place in a key primary school,ó says Haddy Lu, mother of a five-year-old boy.
Apart from academic studies, children also need to be versatile to stand out during enrollment interviews for primary schools, she says.
Amid the fierce competition, many children take extracurricular classes in their spare time to boost their resumes.
Critics say preschools and kindergartens are becoming more like primary schools and children are less happy.
In an effort to relieve the academic burden on children, education authorities issued a notice last year banning all primary schools from accepting competition certificates or resumes in the admissions process.
Schools say they now lack objective tools to evaluate students and some parents are worried that the new policy will encourage corruption in admissions.
Some schools were said to launch interviews secretly and some schools replaced admission tests with psychological tests.
òCertificates do reflect interest and abilities, in a way,ó said Sun Youli, principal of Shanghai Liying Primary School.
Though parents are told elaborate resumes and competition certificates won?t help their child win a coveted place, some doubt whether the ban will be effective.
òWhenever there is a rule, there is a way to get around it,ó says Wei Shenjie, mother of a girl at a public kindergarten in the Pudong New Area.
òThe previous ban on extracurricular classes in kindergartens only resulted in a boom in social training institutes,ó she says.
Her daughter?s kindergarten requires children to attend English and Chinese classes at a social institute every Saturday. Parents need to pay extra for these classes.
òIn fact, the institute teachers are all from the kindergarten,ó Wei says.
òThe kindergarten just rented a room to avoid directly violating the ban.ó
òThe classes are not compulsory. But most of the children take part in the classes,ó she adds.
She says parents don?t want to push their children too hard. Yet, at the same time, they worry their child will òlose at the starting lineó if they do not take extracurricular classes while other children do.
Moreover, parents questioned whether the ban achieves its aim in reducing the burden on students.
òIt?s unreasonable to close all the classes,ó says Haddy Lu. òProper exposure to Arabic numerals and Chinese characters should be encouraged to inspire children?s interest in studies,ó she says.
Lu?s son used to have a foreign English tutor, who taught the alphabet through songs and games. The kindergarten closed the English class under the strict ban. She is very sad about the change and admires children at bilingual schools very much.
She says the ban only improves the attractiveness of private bilingual kindergartens, which charge higher fees.
The survey, issued by the commission earlier this month, found about 20 percent of private kindergartens still hold extracurricular academic classes, despite the ban.
òPrivate kindergartens provide such courses to meet the society?s need amid rising competition for school enrollment and employment,ó says Fan Yi, director of Dongzhan Kindergarten, which is private, in Changning District.
The commission?s policy to reduce the pressure on children seems to contradict with societal needs and it has realized the conflict.
òWe will study and reform the policies about the private schools to strike a balance between their independence and the children?s interests,ó says Huang Qiong, an official with the commission?s education research department.
Bao Bao, a three-year-old, is about to attend preschool this autumn. He can already read scores of Chinese characters thanks to his grandmother, who teaches him.
"The early bird catches the worm," says Bao Bao's grandmother Yan Yunqiu. "Boys are very naughty. They learn much slower than girls."
Yan drew inspiration from another boy's preschool experience. "My sister advised me to start early training because her grandson found it hard to keep up with the girls in literacy skills."
She taught her grandson some Chinese characters every day after supper with the aid of some colorful cards.
Under the influence of the theory - "don't let children lose at the starting line," the competition for elite primary school openings is extremely fierce in China.
To make children stand out in primary school enrollment, many parents spend lavishly on preschool extracurricular courses, both academic and art courses.
Some parents download the latest education gadgets online to teach their children at home.
Many toddlers can now read hundreds of Chinese characters and answer calculation questions before going to primary school. Meanwhile, they can also play piano, chess or tennis well.
A survey issued by the Shanghai Education Commission found that about two-thirds of children attend extracurricular classes held by kindergartens or social institutes.
Nearly half of the children took art courses including painting and dancing. About 22 percent studied math and 21 percent English. Nearly 11 percent attended sports classes.
òA child needs to master at least 1,000 Chinese words and hundreds of English words to win a place in a key primary school,ó says Haddy Lu, mother of a five-year-old boy.
Apart from academic studies, children also need to be versatile to stand out during enrollment interviews for primary schools, she says.
Amid the fierce competition, many children take extracurricular classes in their spare time to boost their resumes.
Critics say preschools and kindergartens are becoming more like primary schools and children are less happy.
In an effort to relieve the academic burden on children, education authorities issued a notice last year banning all primary schools from accepting competition certificates or resumes in the admissions process.
Schools say they now lack objective tools to evaluate students and some parents are worried that the new policy will encourage corruption in admissions.
Some schools were said to launch interviews secretly and some schools replaced admission tests with psychological tests.
òCertificates do reflect interest and abilities, in a way,ó said Sun Youli, principal of Shanghai Liying Primary School.
Though parents are told elaborate resumes and competition certificates won?t help their child win a coveted place, some doubt whether the ban will be effective.
òWhenever there is a rule, there is a way to get around it,ó says Wei Shenjie, mother of a girl at a public kindergarten in the Pudong New Area.
òThe previous ban on extracurricular classes in kindergartens only resulted in a boom in social training institutes,ó she says.
Her daughter?s kindergarten requires children to attend English and Chinese classes at a social institute every Saturday. Parents need to pay extra for these classes.
òIn fact, the institute teachers are all from the kindergarten,ó Wei says.
òThe kindergarten just rented a room to avoid directly violating the ban.ó
òThe classes are not compulsory. But most of the children take part in the classes,ó she adds.
She says parents don?t want to push their children too hard. Yet, at the same time, they worry their child will òlose at the starting lineó if they do not take extracurricular classes while other children do.
Moreover, parents questioned whether the ban achieves its aim in reducing the burden on students.
òIt?s unreasonable to close all the classes,ó says Haddy Lu. òProper exposure to Arabic numerals and Chinese characters should be encouraged to inspire children?s interest in studies,ó she says.
Lu?s son used to have a foreign English tutor, who taught the alphabet through songs and games. The kindergarten closed the English class under the strict ban. She is very sad about the change and admires children at bilingual schools very much.
She says the ban only improves the attractiveness of private bilingual kindergartens, which charge higher fees.
The survey, issued by the commission earlier this month, found about 20 percent of private kindergartens still hold extracurricular academic classes, despite the ban.
òPrivate kindergartens provide such courses to meet the society?s need amid rising competition for school enrollment and employment,ó says Fan Yi, director of Dongzhan Kindergarten, which is private, in Changning District.
The commission?s policy to reduce the pressure on children seems to contradict with societal needs and it has realized the conflict.
òWe will study and reform the policies about the private schools to strike a balance between their independence and the children?s interests,ó says Huang Qiong, an official with the commission?s education research department.
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