인적자본투자관점에서의 중국 도시유아교육 수요변화와 정책대응

Abstract

With the economic reform and the China's rapid economy growth, the issue of early childhood education in China, in recent years, has emerged as a very important social issue. Chinese parents with only child have become more interested in their children’s early cognitive and emotional development. The public and private sector for early childhood education have tried to respond to rapid increase of these educational demand and parents desires. This study attempts to review the changing demand and supply of childhood education as well as its overall policy environment in China. In particular, this study is focused upon the Chinese cities' childhood education programs and current situation. This study reviews related laws and institutions, policies and programs of the current Chinese infant and early childhood education. After the analysis of institutional problems, we propose a change in policy measures to respond to new demands from the Chinese parents in regards to early childhood education. Three alternatives are suggested as followings : first, the role of central and local governments should be increased, in particular, in terms of their financial responsibility for the early childhood education programs; secondly, the government needs to control the tuition and expenses for the early childhood education programs and also needs to reorganize the management and evaluation system; thirdly, the competence of school teachers are to be enhanced through more positive efforts by the governments.