Describes child care practices in Xian, China. Focuses on scheduling, cleanliness, curriculum, and student behavior in a day care center. (RJC)

Discusses preschool education in the People's Republic of China. Describes the developments that have occurred in the last 15 years, such as the effect of the 1 child policy and what parents now expect preschools to emphasize as a result of this policy. Discusses how the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky form the foundations for the preschool…

At the State Council News Office press conference of November 10 the "National Report on Universal Education in China" [Zhongguo quanmin jiaoyu guojia baogao] was made public. Zhang Xinsheng, vice minister of education, presided over the conference and briefed those present on the background of the report. The report provides a…

This paper consists of observations on a China tour to nursery schools, children's hospitals, primary schools, a high school, a teacher training institute, after-school children's centers and a school for the deaf. Twenty American early childhood education specialists participated in the tour, which included visits to five cities and to rural…

This study sought to validate the translated Self-Control Rating Scale on a population of 204 randomly selected Chinese preschool children from over 600 attending a Beijing child care center. Results indicated satisfactory content validity, internal reliability, construct validity, and test-retest reliability. Validation of measure will allow…

In China, formal preschool education for children from one to six years old is accessible to only 20-25% of Chinese children, though deemed very important by parents. Discusses the teacher training curriculum, the preschool curriculum, and recent initiatives to improve the quality and availability of preschool education through research, parent…

Grouped 72 Chinese and Indian 4-year olds with a friend and an acquaintance to study cultural influences on sharing resources. Findings from these representatives of two collectivist cultures highlight the importance of cultural beliefs on young children's behaviors and the interaction between sharers and recipients. (SLD)

A cross-cultural study examined preschoolers' knowledge of elementary components of the writing system. Subjects were 41 Chinese and 44 American preschool students between the ages of 2 and 4. The students were presented with sets of cards depicting familiar objects, capitalized English letters, and Chinese characters and were asked to turn each…

Among nations throughout the world there is a need to share information about early childhood services. This information would allow a given country to examine its early childhood services in light of the systems developed by other nations. At present, comprehensive and detailed information about early childhood services in most countries around…

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.…

Citing as a central focus of the Chinese government since the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, this paper presents a brief sociopolitical and historical description of China in the twentieth century and suggests reasons for its lack of modern development and low educational attainment as of 1949. The importance of education as a…

Presents a profile of Chinese kindergarten. Problems discussed are related to: (1) provision of kindergarten education; (2) the only child; (3) teacher training; (4) the knowledge basis of kindergarten education; and (5) reform of the kindergarten curriculum. (Author/BB)

Explores the role of play in early-childhood education in China. Describes a typical day in the life of one Chinese child enrolled in a preprimary program. Cites research findings on which daily activities were perceived as play by the child, her parents, grandparents, and teacher. Concludes with a discussion about the impact of culture on…

This paper reviews the history of early childhood education in China between 1949 and 1990. After the Communist revolution in 1949, China's educational policy was modeled after the Soviet Union's. Preschool pedagogy emphasized conditioning children's behavior and providing a comfortable environment for children. The number of nurseries and…

This paper records observations made on a tour of educational settings in the People's Republic of China. Discussed are the philosophy and aims of current Chinese education, curriculum practices in the preschool, primary and middle school and in teacher training institutions, The Little Red Soldiers programs and the Children's Palaces. Educational…