The decision by scores of parents in neighboring Hangzhou to have babies in 2000 - the Year of the Dragon - is rebounding on them now, with many complaining about problems finding kindergartens for their children.

Shanghai's families, however, are free of such worries since fewer Shanghai couples joined the 2000 baby rush.

Since the Year of Dragon was supposed to bring good luck and fortune for newborns, many Chinese couples opted to deliver babies that year. Thus, the so-called "Dragon kids" are all queuing up for kindergarten enrollment the same year now, creating an education glut.

In Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, about 10,000 more babies were born in 2000 than the previous year. Very unlike Shanghai.

"Couples in Shanghai have their own opinion on having babies. They do not follow any trend," said Dr Chen Daning, a spokeswoman of the Shanghai International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital.

About 69,500 babies were born in Shanghai in 2000. Though it was the highest figure in recent years - the annual average being 67,000 newborns - the increase was still less than 6 percent over 1999.

Chen said, "Instead of having a baby during a 'special' year, economic situation and health conditions weigh more with local couples in selecting their (delivery) time."

The city now has 1,001 kinder-gartens and 212 nurseries. Officials said they are enough to cater to local children, despite rising applicants.

"We admit about 60 children every year, while the figure has risen to 80 this year as more children were born in 2000," said an official named Zhuang at the Shanghai Xiaokedou Music Kindergarten in Baoshan District.

Last year, 240,000 kids studied in kindergartens, up 8,100 from 2001. The figure is expected to rise further this year.

Officials attributed the increase to more newborns and children from the migrant population.

An increasing number of migrant children are entering Shanghai's pre-school facilities. Presently, about 20 percent of children in local kindergartens are outsiders, and figure is rising.

Though kindergartens can handle the present demand, officials from the Shanghai Education Commission said distribution of facilities should be improved.

Kindergartens on the city's outskirts are crowded since more farmers want their kids to have pre-school education and also because of relocation of downtown residents.

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