BEIJING, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- 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.
While explaining the draft law at the session, 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 and features public interest.
The government should also guide non-governmental entities to provide accessible preschool education resources, according to the proposed draft.
On child care and education, the draft specifies that kindergartens should give top priority to the protection of children's safety.
It prohibits preschool education institutions from conducting any form of testing for kids except for necessary health checkups. The teaching of primary school courses is also forbidden. ■
