Preschool education and childcare services are aimed at the “softest group” and are the top priority of people’s livelihood protection. Shanghai has passed legislation to fully protect the rights and interests of this group.
On November 23, the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress voted to pass the “Regulations on Preschool Education and Childcare Services in Shanghai” (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulations”) to further promote the integrated development of preschool education and childcare services , Strengthen the construction of an inclusive preschool education and childcare service system.
Yan Rui, director of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress, introduced that the “Regulations” clearly state that public kindergartens run by the government should be the mainstay, and a preschool education public service system with a reasonable layout and public welfare should be built to popularize Pre-school education: Build an inclusive and diverse public service system for childcare and develop childcare services by opening kindergarten nursery classes, organizing childcare institutions, setting up community childcare centers, and providing welfare childcare services.
Building community childcare centers to provide temporary care services is a highlight of this legislation. According to the “Regulations”, the governments of all districts in Shanghai shall include community childcare services and family scientific child-rearing guidance services in the construction of 15-minute community life circles, rural community life circles, and community comprehensive service systems.
It is an important advantage and successful experience for the development of preschool education and childcare services in Shanghai to set up nursery classes in kindergartens, promote childcare service resources, space sharing, and integration of teachers and personnel, and realize the integrated development of nursery schools. This time, Shanghai is the first country in the country to integrate preschool education and childcare services into legislation.
In order to strengthen the service guarantee capacity of kindergartens and their nursery classes, the “Regulations” clearly state that kindergartens in Shanghai should set up nursery classes in accordance with the planning requirements. Newly built residential areas shall be equipped with kindergartens and nursery facilities, which shall be planned, designed, constructed, checked and accepted, and handed over simultaneously with residential buildings. In addition, if the kindergartens and their nursery classes in residential areas that have been built do not meet the planning requirements or construction standards, the local district people’s government should supplement and improve them through new construction, expansion, reconstruction, and support for the participation of social forces.
The “Regulations” pay attention to the needs of special groups and strengthen the construction of preschool special education resources. It is clarified that the district government should set up special special education preschools or preschool special education institutions according to the number, type and distribution of preschool children with special needs in the administrative area to ensure that preschool special education services cover all streets and towns.
Whether childcare institutions are safe or not is a matter of special concern to parents. The “Regulations” clarify that kindergartens and childcare institutions should establish and improve safety management systems and safety responsibility systems, improve physical and technical defense facilities and equipment, and ensure the personal safety of children during the kindergarten; entrances, exits, children’s activity places, rest places, etc. The area shall install video monitoring facilities, and the monitoring records shall be kept for at least 90 days.
At the same time, kindergartens and nursery institutions should conduct background checks and health checks when employing employees, and must not hire personnel with six types of circumstances, including criminal records and serious violations of teachers’ ethics. Practitioners shall not punish children corporal punishment or disguised corporal punishment, and shall not engage in discrimination, insult, abuse, sexual assault, or other acts that violate professional ethics or damage children’s physical and mental health.
The “Regulations” will come into effect on January 1, 2023. ‘
(The Paper)