Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province aims to build a balanced pre-school education system covering both its urban and rural areas by 2022. [Photo/WeChat account: nbfb0574]

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province recently rolled out a guideline to deepen reform in pre-school education.

According to the guideline, the city will strive to build a balanced pre-school education system covering both its urban and rural areas by 2022.

All kindergarten teachers are required to obtain qualification certificates and more than 98 percent of the pre-schools should pass the city’s grading certification. 

Kindergartens at the second-class or above are expected to account for over 75 percent of the city's total, and the proportion of public kindergartens and inclusive private kindergartens in the city should reach about 90 percent. 

By 2025, the proportion of the pre-schools that pass grading certification is expected to top 99 percent, among which second-class ones should surpass 80 percent.

Before 2022, about 30 new public kindergartens and inclusive private kindergartens will be built in the city every year.

Townships (sub-districts) with a permanent population of more than 50,000 people should have two or more public kindergartens.

Favorable policies including subsidies, rent exemption and vocational training will be introduced to encourage the use of social capital for the opening of inclusive pre-schools.

Meanwhile, local education authorities are set to make more efforts to improve education quality and strengthen campus security.

The guideline state that all pre-schools should adpot close-off management policies and be equipped with security personnel, emergency alert and surveillance systems.