Childcare in China

                                                                                               Bruce Dollar

Today’s Chinese children are extraordinarily active. They are more confident than their grandparents. The writer’s team conversed with many people in child-related institutions: families, nurseries, kindergartens, and schools. The Chinese children are taught to give preference to social needs rather than personal needs, to respect productive labour, to help others and to do physical as well as intellectual labour. Certain techniques are applied to teach them.

     In China, over 90 percent of working age women work. Mostly, they leave their children in the care of their grandparents. If they don’t have elderly member in the family they leave their children with a friend or neighbour.

     The childcare system in China is decentralized. The childcare centres of different localities often arrange the facilities themselves. But all the centres t each the same values using the same methods.

     The Chinese children are taught group activities. Each child is taught to rely on another. Mostly, the childcare centres are poorly supplied with the toys and playthings to teach this value. It is believed to foster mutual help among the children. The teachers encourage such group behaviour as cooperation, sharing, and altruism. If a child shares his things with other children, the teachers praise him. Even in a competitive situation, helping others is more important than winning. If a child does something wrong, he is criticized. But he is not punished. He is persuaded to tell the truth.

     The teachers in childcare centres are selected on the basis of their interest. Their academic qualifications are secondary. Priority is given to their “sensitivity and love for children”. Only the women are chosen as the teachers in these childcare centres. They hardly leave their job.

     In China, an average child undergoes multiple mothering. This practice provides a kind of security to the child. It is not possible in America. A child who gets multiple or shared mothering can grow physically and emotionally if the mother surrogates are constant, warm and giving. Such children do not show any intellectual, emotional or physical problem.

     In Chinese families, elderly members get due respect. Besides, job for women and daycare for children have made home life easier. Chinese people get satisfaction in serving the nation.