In Depth: China’s Preschoolers Are Stilling Cramming for First Grade

Despite ongoing government efforts to curb excessive academic workloads for young children, many Chinese preschoolers, such as six-year-old Yang Yang, are still spending most of their summer in academically focused classes that resemble first-grade instruction. Yang attends classes every weekday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:25 p.m., studying a range of subjects including reading, writing, math, and physical education, with additional English lessons on Saturdays. This intensive approach persists despite a 2021 Ministry of Education directive banning curriculum-based tutoring for preschoolers and a new Preschool Education Law, effective June 2024, which prohibits kindergartens and similar institutions from teaching primary-level content. However, tutoring remains popular: a 2022 survey in five provinces showed that 91.1% of kindergarten parents believe preschool tutoring helps with primary school readiness, with 35.7% already enrolled or planning to enroll their children. Private schools and off-campus tutoring centers, in particular, have become go-to options for parents worried that their children will fall behind, and summer classes in major cities are filling rapidly despite official crackdowns. [para. 1][para. 2][para. 3][para. 4][para. 5][para. 6]

The phenomenon is driven by perceptions that primary schools expect incoming students to already possess early literacy and math skills, causing anxiety among parents and a surge in supplemental tutoring. Public kindergartens now largely comply with prohibitions on primary-level teaching, with strict enforcement by local education authorities, even including spot-checks of students’ backpacks for academic materials. In contrast, many private kindergartens openly advertise their academic focus as a competitive advantage, especially as China’s declining birth rate reduces overall enrollment and intensifies competition for students. Transition programs offered by private institutions typically run for four to seven weeks, Monday through Friday, with up to six lessons per day, covering subjects from pinyin and literacy to math, English, and even coding. Fees for these programs range from 5,000 to 20,000 yuan ($690–$2,750) and are marketed as developmentally focused rather than relying on official textbooks. [para. 7][para. 8][para. 9][para. 10][para. 11][para. 12][para. 13][para. 14][para. 15][para. 16][para. 17][para. 18][para. 19]

Parental anxiety is further amplified by the sharp contrast between the play-based, interest-driven model in kindergartens and the structured, accelerated pace of primary school. Parents report that children with limited prior exposure to literacy or math struggle to keep up, impacting both academic performance and self-esteem. Teachers acknowledge that the majority of first-graders already possess foundational academic knowledge, making it difficult for true beginners to catch up without extra support. Many parents who cannot provide intensive at-home tutoring are left with little choice but to enroll their children in supplemental programs. [para. 20][para. 21][para. 22][para. 23][para. 24][para. 25][para. 26][para. 27][para. 28]

Policy responses have emphasized developmentally appropriate transitions, calling for kindergartens to focus on habits and social skills, and for primary schools to ease students into structured learning with adaptation periods and integrated teaching. Some educators stress the importance of individualized approaches since children develop at different rates; rigid, age-based policies may not suit all learners. Collaborative mechanisms between kindergartens and primary schools remain limited, which allows off-campus academic tutoring to flourish. International comparisons (Singapore, Japan, Norway) reveal more coordinated transitions and reduced emphasis on early academics. Chinese experts advocate for integrated, activity-based curricula tailored to children’s diverse developmental needs and for increased parent engagement to shift attitudes away from premature academic pressure. [para. 29][para. 30][para. 31][para. 32][para. 33][para. 34][para. 35][para. 36][para. 37][para. 38][para. 39][para. 40][para. 41][para. 42][para. 43][para. 44][para. 45][para. 46][para. 47][para. 48][para. 49][para. 50][para. 51][para. 52]