(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-05-12 07:17

Preschool education should not be overprivatized for the good of the public, says an article in Market News. The following is an excerpt:

The Kunming municipal government recently circulated a document to officially start its educational reform. According to the document, reform of preschool education is a vital task of the government. The target is to increase the number of private preschool establishments to 90 percent by 2010.

At present, 90 percent of preschool establishments are funded by public finance. The State-funded kindergartens have quality teachers, better facilities and low fees.

When they become private ones, these establishments will surely increase fees to make up for the loss of State funding. The burden of preschool education will thus be transferred from the government to families.

In many Western countries, preschool education is for the public good. Countries like the United States and Germany have a detailed syllabus for preschool education. In Britain, it has been incorporated into the compulsory education system. Japan also has begun to boost free preschool education.

More private preschools mean the burden of teachers' salaries as well as other costs will be transferred to parents. And, as the bottom line of private schools is to make profits, the cost to parents could be great.

Education is the responsibility of a government, and no matter what sort of reform is introduced, this responsibility should not be transferred to parents. Therefore, in judging Kunming's education reform, we should consider the pressure it will put on parents more than anything else.

The overemphasis on privatization could lead to more inequality in education.

(China Daily 05/12/2008 page4)