China legislature member proposes free nursery school for one year

Zhu Yongxin, a member to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress , China's top legislature, has called for nursery schools to be free for at least one year here on Sunday.

"The high fees of some nursery schools have burdened heavily on the parents," the Beijing News quoted him as saying. "Nursery school has become the weakest link of our education chain," said Zhu, also vice chairman of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, one of the country's eight non-communist parties.

In China, nursery schools usually enroll children between three and six years. But many children in rural areas, especially those in the western provinces, failed to enter either because there were no such schools available or because the high tuition deterred their parents.

Zhu's proposal echoed a report of Li Jianguo, vice chairman of the top legislative body, according to the paper.

The majority of the 15.9 million left-behind children in rural areas didn't attend nursery schools, said Li at the newly-concluded session of the top legislature from Sept. 25 to 29.

These children were left at home because their parents or parent were working in cities.

Li also urged governments to invest more in rural education andinstitutions to accommodate such children.

The Ministry of Education was currently working on a regulation to standardize the pricing of nursery schools, the paper said.

Source: Xinhua