A proposal to have every Beijing kindergarten running English language classes by 2015 has been scrapped.

A draft work plan to improve the capital's international language environment last July stated that all preschools would be required to offer bilingual education within the next five years.

However, in the final version, which was released last Friday after being approved by the municipal foreign affairs office, the provision has been removed.

"I support the decision to cancel this rigid regulation," said Che Aiping, a mother of a 4-year-old boy at a preschool in Chaoyang district.

"I don't think learning English at an early age is necessary."

The majority of private kindergartens and some public centers often use classes in English and other languages to attract parents. However, Che argued: "It appears to offer a better opportunity for students to learn English earlier, but in reality it just adds to the burden for children and parents. I want my son to live a happy life at kindergarten instead of studying heavily."

Chen, a teacher at a school affiliated with Peking University who did not want to give her full name, also welcomed the news, explaining that a shortage of qualified teachers already hampers the teaching of foreign languages in preschools.

"Kindergartens, unlike English training institutions, can't afford excellent English teachers, not all those who are hired are professional or have received training," she said.

"It may be better to consider each kindergartens' actual conditions, while parents should also consider their child's interests."

However, some educators say that starting classes at preschools makes it easier for youngsters to study foreign tongues, such as Shi Yanan, an English teacher at Beijing Yayuncun No 1 Kindergarten, who told METRO that a child's prime age for language learning is 3 to 6 years old.

Although the work plan no longer includes the kindergarten regulation, it still demands a rise in standards among several professions. By 2015, more than 90 percent of Beijing taxi drivers should be able to say 300 everyday English sentences, while public hotlines handlers must provide 24-hour services in eight languages, the plan states.

However, Xiong Bingqi, deputy director of 21st Century Education Research Institute, which is an NGO, urged authorities not to place specific requirements on professions and suggested standards should instead be set by regulatory bodies.

China Daily

(China Daily 05/16/2011)