Caixin Weekly | Why Tutoring Starts from Early Childhood (AI Translation)
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文｜财新周刊 徐佳扬（实习），范俏佳
By Caixin Weekly’s Xu Jiayang (Intern) and Fan Qiaojia
文｜财新周刊 徐佳扬（实习），范俏佳
By Caixin Weekly’s Xu Jiayang (Intern), Fan Qiaojia
周一到周五，早上7:30起床，8:30到达辅导机构开始晨读；8:45至9:30上拼音课，9:40至10:25上汉字课，10:35至11:20上绘本阅读课；午休后，13:30至14:15上数学，之后还有手工、体育，直至16:25放学。此外，每周六下午还有两个小时的英语启蒙课。
From Monday to Friday, the day starts at 7:30 a.m., followed by arrival at the tutoring center by 8:30 a.m. for morning reading. From 8:45 to 9:30, there is a pinyin class, followed by a Chinese character class from 9:40 to 10:25, and a picture book reading session from 10:35 to 11:20. After lunch break, math class runs from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m., followed by arts and crafts and physical education, with classes ending at 4:25 p.m. In addition, there is a two-hour English introductory class every Saturday afternoon.
以上是今年暑假，6岁孩子阳阳的“幼小衔接”课程表。
The above is the "preschool-to-elementary transition" class schedule for 6-year-old Yangyang during this year's summer vacation.
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- Despite government bans, 91.1% of surveyed parents believe preschool-to-primary bridging classes help children, with over 35% enrolling or planning to enroll kids; summer "bridging" classes in major cities are often full, costing 5,000–20,000 yuan for 4–7 weeks.
- Laws prohibit academic instruction for preschoolers, but fast-paced primary education and parental anxiety drive widespread early tutoring, especially in private institutions.
- Experts call for child-centered, play-based learning and stronger coordination between kindergartens and primary schools to ease transitions and reduce parents’ focus on academic prep.
Summary:
The article examines the persistent popularity of "kindergarten-to-primary transition" (幼小衔接) classes in China, despite multiple government policies and legal measures aimed at eradicating "primary school-style" education in kindergartens. It details the reasons for this social and educational phenomenon, the challenges faced by children and parents, and the gaps in policy implementation.[para. 1][para. 2]
[para. 1] A typical day for a 6-year-old, Yangyang, involves a schedule filled with tutoring: reading, phonics, Chinese characters, picture book reading, math, crafts, sports, and weekend English—all organized by a private company during the summer break. This exemplifies a trend where parents, fearful of their children falling behind in primary school, send them to intensive preparatory courses.
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[para. 4] Public kindergartens strictly follow "de-primary-schooling," focusing on play-based learning. Parents worried about their child’s academic preparedness turn to private kindergartens or off-campus institutions, despite hefty fees (5,000–20,000 RMB for 4–7 weeks in major cities), often needing to book in advance due to full classes.
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[para. 7] The pressure is exacerbated by rapid teaching in primary schools, which—while officially adopting "zero-start" policies—are forced to accelerate progress due to limited teaching time and the reality that most students already have preparatory background.[para. 10][para. 11] Children and parents who have not prepared in advance face a challenging and emotional transition.
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- Caixin Media
- The provided article is from Caixin Media, specifically "Caixin Weekly" (财新周刊). It features an in-depth report on the "early childhood transition to primary school" phenomenon in China, detailing the prevalence of kindergarteners undergoing "cram school" style training despite government regulations. Caixin's report includes interviews with parents, teachers, and experts to explore the reasons behind this trend and its impact.
- 2016：
- China's Ministry of Education issued the Kindergarten Work Regulations to prevent 'primary school readiness' in kindergartens.
- 2018：
- The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council issued the Opinions on Deepening Reform and Regulating the Development of Preschool Education.
- July 2021：
- The General Offices of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council released guidance explicitly banning online tutoring for preschool children and all offline subject-based tutoring targeting preschoolers.
- 2021：
- The Ministry of Education released the Guidelines on Promoting a Smooth Transition between Kindergartens and Primary Schools.
- April 2022：
- A survey led by Hong Xiumin at Beijing Normal University, focusing on perspectives regarding preschool-to-primary transition, was published.
- 2023：
- There were 274,400 kindergartens nationwide in China.
- On July 3, 2023：
- Teachers at the Fourth Primary School in Guzhou Town, Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province conducted school readiness education for senior kindergarten class children.
- March 2024：
- A large survey on the transition from kindergarten to primary school by Huang Jin at East China Normal University was published.
- 2024：
- There were 253,300 kindergartens nationwide in China, a decrease of 21,100 from 2023.
- By 2024：
- The rate of kindergarten closure increased, with 14,000 private kindergartens closed and the proportion of private kindergartens among the national total shrinking.
- 2024-2025：
- Pei Zhou's daughter, Susu, was in her final year of kindergarten, with no advance academic teaching according to her parent's account.
- September 2024：
- Lu Xing's daughter Wenwen started first grade and struggled to adapt.
- Spring 2025：
- The second semester of kindergarten senior class, during which educators are directed to prepare children for primary school.
- Spring 2025：
- Lu Xing's daughter Wenwen had adapted to first grade by this semester.
- Before Tiantian's fifth birthday in 2025：
- Tiantian, in Henan, expressed distress about leaving kindergarten for a preschool-to-primary transition program.
- Summer 2025：
- Summer 'preschool-to-elementary transition' classes operate across China for children like Yangyang.
- As the summer holiday approaches in 2025：
- Tutoring centers in major cities reported their preschool-to-primary bridging classes were at capacity.
- June 1, 2025：
- The Preschool Education Law officially comes into effect, legally prohibiting primary school-style teaching in kindergartens and certain types of preschool tutoring.
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