Chinese Kindergarten Education: What We Can Learn. Fastback 422.

Overview & Synopsis

This fastback examines kindergarten education for three- to six-year-olds in the People's Republic of China. Preschool education, which includes nurseries as well as kindergartens, sets the pattern for all schooling in China but is not an ideal system. Serious flaws have emerged that, unless addressed, will weaken education in China in the future. Such developments in the education system of the world's most populous nation merit the attention of United States and other western nations if the nature of the educative process and its effects on society, economy, and the interconnectedness of the peoples of the world are to be understood. A general overview of Chinese education is given. Succeeding sections delve into various aspects of early childhood education including the curriculum and teacher education. The booklet concludes with a discussion of the social consequences related to Chinese education and implications of the social consequences specifically for preschool education. Contains 16 references. (BT)