With baby boom in sight, ministry eyes more schools

The Ministry of Education said it will strive to provide more resources to preschools over the next three years to meet increasing demand, as the new second-child policy in some provinces and cities in China could result in added pressure on preschool education.

The second-child policy, which allows couples to have a second child if one spouse is an only child, is being implemented in seven provinces and municipalities since the beginning of this year, including in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin as well as Zhejiang province. More provinces are expected to follow suit this year.

"Second children born after the implementation of the policy will be enrolled in preschools three years from now," Zheng Fuzhi, the director of the ministry's basic education department said at a news conference on Wednesday. "This may widen the gap between the supply of resources and the number of preschoolers - although we don't know the specific number now."