China’s kindergartens grapple with economic impact of plunge in prospective pupils
With fewer children being born in China, the country’s kindergartens are struggling to find a viable way forward
The government-affiliated kindergarten that Lily Wang works for in northeastern China used to be reserved for the children of officials, but China’s plunging birth rate means it is having to cast its net wider nowadays.
“The leadership has shifted its approach, enlarging the enrolment base and learning from the southern regions by adopting group-based management,” said Wang, a senior teacher at the kindergarten in Harbin, Heilongjiang’s provincial capital.
It began recruiting pupils from the general populace in autumn last year. While it still gives priority to officials’ children when reviewing applications, Wang said it felt as though even more pupils came from other backgrounds this year.