The Ministry of Education has asked local governments to regulate unlicensed kindergartens and increase educational resources. The problems such kindergartens have may harm children's health and safety, but the authorities need to handle their case with utmost care, says an article in China Youth Daily. Excerpts:

There were 1,298 unlicensed kindergartens, 32 more than licensed ones, in Beijing alone in 2009. Unlicensed kindergartens, whose fees are lower than the official rate, have mushroomed because rapid urbanization has attracted millions of rural residents to cities and thus raised the demand.

Dearth of government funds, too, can be blamed for the trend.

The gap between demand for and availability of kindergartens has made it very difficult for parents to admit their children to recognized preschools. This is where the unlicensed ones come in handy.

Such institutions relieve the worries of some parents, especially in the low-income group.

They not only teach the children, but also help the floating population to integrate into city life. That they charge less than the licensed kindergartens and are not prejudiced against the status of the parents are a bonus.

The predicament the unlicensed kindergartens face is similar to that of schools for children of migrant workers.

Before the financial condition of migrant workers gets better and more resources are poured into the education system, any attempt to shut down the unlicensed kindergartens would only deprive children of certain social groups of the chance to receive education.

Though education department officials have called for an increase in resources at local levels, experience tells us it would take a long time to do so and regulate the unlicensed kindergartens.

It is the government's responsibility to provide quality education to children, irrespective of which social group they come from.

Hopefully, the government will provide better guidance to the unlicensed schools and kindergartens instead of shutting them down.

(China Daily 02/28/2011 page9)