CHINESE lawmakers are considering a preschool education law to ensure that preschool education is accessible to all children and of high quality. The draft law was tabled Monday before lawmakers for deliberation at the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Huai Jinpeng, minister of education, said despite the rapid growth of preschool education, the sector has witnessed unbalanced and inadequate development in recent years. He noted significant problems, such as the difficulty of getting enrolled in kindergartens and the fact that some kindergartens collect exorbitant fees. To secure the sound development of the sector, the draft law stresses the principal role of the government in popularizing preschool education and building a preschool public-service system that covers urban and rural areas. To promote the balanced and rational distribution of education resources, the draft specifies that governments at various levels should narrow the gap in preschool education between urban and rural areas and between different regions. It prohibits preschool education institutions from conducting any form of testing for kids except for necessary health checkups. The teaching of elementary school courses is also forbidden. (Xinhua) | 