Cathy Mo

    AKD International Inc., the parent company of Shenzhen (Nanshan) Concord College of Sino-Canada, opened China’s first immersive bilingual kindergarten in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province on Saturday.

    Dongguan Mensa Kindergarten in Houjie Township combines the curricula of the Montessori, International Baccalaureate and Canadian education systems, which offers solid emotional and intellectual development.

    Children of that age have boundless mental and physical potential, all age appropriate lessons are developed to inspire them, Francis Pang, chairman of the board of AKD International., told Shenzhen Daily on Saturday.

    The kindergarten is also equipped with world-class facilities specially designed for children aged between 18 months and six years old, such as intelligent electronic boards, a library, a swimming pool, an indoor gym, a mini soccer field and a mini golf course.

    Based in Toronto City, Ontario Province, Canadian education group AKD International was founded in 1994 by Francis Pang, a Chinese Canadian who proposed the establishment of the first Sino-Canadian joint-cooperative school in China. In partnership with the Chinese Ministry of Education, the Canadian Government, the province of New Brunswick, Canada, the group has subsidiaries in eight Chinese cities including Beijing, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Changsha.

    Beijing Concord College of Sino-Canada, Shenzhen (Nanshan) Concord College of Sino-Canada and Anhui Concord College of Sino-Canada provide international education to Chinese students, who are able to receive both Canadian and Chinese senior high school diplomas upon graduation. The group has also run international schools in Beijing and Shenzhen.

    “We are planning to set up some 200 immersive bilingual kindergartens in the next five years in about 20 Chinese cities to meet the increasing demand in the country’s early childhood education,” said Pang.