Beijing teachers give kids early competitive ..2.

Like most parents, Zhu Yu pays a monthly 5000 yuan tuition for her son to be enrolled here at this private kindergarten. The soaring cost has kept most Chinese families away, and its shrinking access has even led some families to start looking for kindergartens right after pregnancy.

The situation is going to change for the better.

The State Council has initiated a three-year plan to strengthen China's pre-school education system after an executive meeting on Wednesday.

China will encourage urban communities, villages, government institutions and enterprises to build kindergartens to address the shortfall and aid private kindergartens so they can offer cheaper services.

In rural areas, a lack of awareness about pre-school education has left two thirds of children not enrolled in kindergartens. To address this problem, the State Council said that spending to promote pre-school education should be included in the budget of local governments, and the central government would provide more financial aid to the country's less-developed regions.

Also the central government said it would train 10,000 kindergarten directors and teachers in three years.

Dr. Cheng Yue who majored in child education, welcomed the government initiative.

Dr. Cheng said, "It's been a huge improvement for China to realize the importance of pre-school education, which is a critical period in developing a child's skills and raise his habits. The new policies will facilitate equal education for all children, and I believe this is great news for all parents. "

Dr Cheng also points out that educational reforms and better pre-school education is important and imperative, but there's a long way to go to fully realize the goals.

Reporter Zhang Nini said, "Pre school education is a weak link due to the shortage of teachers and uneven development between urban and rural areas. It's hoped that the new policies announced by the State Council will tackle these specific and practical problems and ensure quality and equal education accessible to all children."