I. Introduction.
In recent years, with the continuous decline of China's birth rate, the preschool education market has gradually become saturated, and kindergartens have begun to enter the tide of closure.
At noon on March 1, 2024, Shanghai Xuhui District Private Tile Kindergarten issued a public announcement that it would stop operating the kindergarten. According to the content of the announcement, due to the decline in the birth rate of the population and the difficulty of enrollment, it will not be able to continue to run the school, so it will stop running the kindergarten from March 1, 2024, and will no longer enroll children. This is another private kindergarten in Shanghai announced the closure of the private Haifu Jinkui Kindergarten in Pudong New Area, Shanghai in December 2022. This incident has once again aroused social concern about the wave of kindergarten closures.
Second, the reason for the wave of kindergarten closures.
1.Oversupply in the market: With the continuous decline in the birth rate of China's population, the preschool education market is gradually becoming saturated, and the number of kindergartens is increasing, resulting in oversupply in the market, and many kindergartens are facing the problem of enrollment difficulties.
2.The cost of running a kindergarten is rising: with the price of goods, the cost of running a kindergarten is also rising, including rent, staff salaries, water and electricity bills, etc. Many kindergartens struggle to maintain normal operations due to excessive financial pressure.
3.Policy adjustment: In recent years, the state has adjusted the policy of preschool education, strengthened the supervision of kindergartens, and raised the threshold for running kindergartens. Many kindergartens that did not meet the requirements were eliminated, resulting in a decrease in the number of kindergartens.
4.Intensified competition: With the development of society, parents' requirements for preschool education are getting higher and higher, and many kindergartens are constantly improving the quality of teaching and service in order to attract parents and students, resulting in intensified competition. Some weaker kindergartens struggle to survive because they are unable to meet the needs of parents.
3. The impact of the wave of kindergarten closures.
1.Affecting the quality of early childhood education: The wave of kindergarten closures has caused many children to be unable to receive high-quality preschool education, affecting the quality of early childhood education.
2.Impact on parents' lives and work: The wave of kindergarten closures has led to many parents needing to look for kindergartens again, affecting parents' lives and work.
3.Affect social stability: The wave of kindergarten closures has caused many teachers and staff to lose their jobs, affecting social stability.
Fourth, measures to deal with the tide of kindergarten closures.
1.Departments: Departments should strengthen the supervision of pre-school education, standardize the behavior of kindergartens, raise the threshold for running kindergartens, and eliminate kindergartens that do not meet the requirements. At the same time, the first department should increase investment in pre-school education, improve the quality and service level of kindergartens.
2.Kindergarten: Kindergartens should improve their competitiveness, continuously improve the quality of teaching and service, and meet the needs of parents. At the same time, kindergartens should strengthen management, reduce the cost of running a park, and improve economic efficiency.
3.Parents: Parents should choose kindergartens rationally and do not blindly pursue high-quality preschool education. At the same time, parents should pay attention to the quality and service level of kindergartens, and choose the right kindergarten for their children.
V. Conclusions. The tide of kindergarten closures is a serious social problem, but in the face of the current situation of population decline, there is really no solution, ask for good luck, see who lives long!