Ministry sets up office to enhance preschool education

The Ministry of Education has set up a new office in charge of preschool education in order to improve administration and professional quality in the sector. The ministry has issued a circular concerning adjustments for its internal divisions, including the establishment of offices in charge of preschool education, special education for handicapped children and continuing education, respectively, according to a report in the Thursday edition of the Beijing News. According to the circular, the preschool education office will be responsible for policies and development plans in relevant fields. The office will also work to formulate quality standards and basic requirements for education at kindergartens, the circular said. The continuing education office will administer community education, workers' vocational education and other kinds of private training, the circular said. The ministry has also set up a special bureau responsible for major reform measures in the education sector. In a speech delivered at the opening of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on Nov. 8, President Hu Jintao said the CPC gives high priority to developing education, adding that the Party will work hard to improve education for the satisfaction of the people. According to Hu, such efforts will include measures to develop preschool education, promote the balanced development of nine-year compulsory education and accelerate the development of modern vocational education.