In survey City schools rank low again
By admin on 2014-12-29

A lack of proper resources was just one reason given in a national poll released yesterday that put Beijing out of the top 10 cities for education in China. This makes it the second year running.

The poll attempted to evaluate the educational level of major cities in China by collecting the opinions of 6,000 people in phone interviews.

Beijing ranked 13th this year out of the 30 cities. The poll was jointly conducted by 21st Century Education Research and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Last year, Beijing was placed much lower at 28th, involving the same group of cities. Jinan, capital of Shandong province, grabbed top spot both years.

In this year's survey, criticism of Beijing focused on key points such as insufficient number of preschools, excessive pressure and unfair treatment for students under the current educational system.

Wang Jintang, a member of the education, culture, health and sports committee for Beijing CPPCC, said in an interview with the Beijing Times there were several problems in the capital's education system.

"I think the survey objectively reflects the overall situation of Beijing's education level," he said.

He predicted there would not be enough kindergartens to meet the increasing number of students that would reach the required age in two to three years.

In addition, he called for a halt in the random selection of primary schools by pupils.

"Students who don't go to their nearest school have to get up early and often can't eat breakfast. This isn't good for their development," he said.

A mother of a two-year-old girl surnamed Xu, told METRO she hasn't been able to find her daughter a kindergarten.

Xu said she had sold her new three-bedroom apartment outside the North Fifth Ring Road to buy an older two-bedroom apartment within the North Fourth Ring Road, because it has access to good public kindergartens and elementary schools.

"It definitely lowered my living standard, but I have no choice if I want my child to go to a good kindergarten," she said.

"I heard the Beijing government would build more kindergartens in the future, but it won't solve my dilemma now."