SHENZHEN recently issued a new plan to promote the construction of kindergartens in residential communities to ensure pre-school education resources.

The plan stipulates that districts should include kindergartens in new housing estates and those rebuilt in urban renewal projects and shanty-town redevelopment projects.

Commercial housing developers should build kindergartens in their residential compounds. Concerning residential compounds that have been completed but do not have a layout or have insufficient space for kindergartens, the plan requires that developers to build new kindergartens, renovate those that have been put into use, or acquire kindergartens through purchasing, renting or exchange.

For old residential communities, like urban villages, that lack sufficient preschool education resources, the plan requires new kindergartens be built, or acquired through purchasing, renting or exchange.

At the same time, the plan has offered solutions for other problems existing in the construction process. If housing developers fail to build kindergartens accordingly or exclude the kindergarten project from the first phase of construction, they will be required to talk with the relevant authorities.

Moreover, if housing developers secretly reduce the space used for kindergartens or use the land for other purposes, they will be required by district governments to make corrections through renovation or launching new projects. Kindergartens that fail to meet required standards will not be accepted by the housing and construction departments for the final check when the housing project is completed.

All recently built kindergartens located in residential communities with property rights owned by the government or State-owned enterprises should be transformed into public kindergartens. Kindergartens owned by State-owned enterprises but currently run by private operators should be converted into public kindergartens after their contracts expire.   (Wang Jingli)