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May 30, 2016

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Preschool agency’s suspension highlights administrative failure

A major failure in the administration of private educational training was brought to light last week, after one of the city’s most popular agencies was ordered to suspend operations because it was not authorized to provide the service it offered.

The Kuno Method, a preschool educational consulting company, had been offering classes to prepare children aged between 3 and 6 years for interviews at top primary schools since 2007. However, it was found to be operating without a license by the educational authorities last week after people queuing to register children for classes at its outlet in Changning District got into a fight and the police were called.

Shen Hong, an official at the education bureau in Xuhui District where Kuno Method’s headquarters is registered, told Shanghai Daily that the bureau had been aware of its training classes and talked to the firm’s managers, but were told it was merely running a consulting service for parents.

“It’s difficult for us to take action because it is not registered at our bureau,” Shen said. “We have no law enforcement power over private companies. They are supervised and regulated by the industry and commerce administration.”

According to Shen, there are two kinds of agencies offering private educational training — non-profit ones registered with education bureaus, and commercial ones registered with the industry and commerce administrations.

According to the Shanghai Education Commission, there are about 1,200 registered, private, non-diploma educational agencies in the city.

The supervision of such agencies comes under the Ordinances on Promotion of Lifelong Education, which came into effect in May 2011.

But there remains much confusion about the regulatory framework.

In an interview with Shanghai Television, the commercial authorities argued that they are not responsible for privately operated preschool education agencies according to another regulation issued in 2013.

A Kuno Method representative surnamed Zhang told Shanghai Daily that the company had not been clear on whether they had to apply for a license from the education bureau because most agencies offering the same service are unlicensed.

Another training service provider, who asked not to be named, confessed to Shanghai Daily that most agencies in the industry are operating without educational licenses, and some don’t even have business licenses.

“It’s difficult to get a license from the education bureau as it has strict requirements for the work experience of the headmaster, the qualifications of the teachers and the general running of the operation,” he said. “Most of the agencies would not exist if they followed the rules.”

Chen Yuanyuan, a professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics who studies private education agencies, said: “The market is large and chaotic, needing stricter regulation,” she added. “Qualification is only one problem — there are also security and contractual issues. Parents take risks when they have their children in unlicensed agencies.”

Chen suggested the government establish a special department to regulate private non-diploma training.

Parents and grandparents, however, are less concerned about the regulatory issues surrounding early education, Shanghai Daily found.

“I just want (Kuno Method) to help my granddaughter improve her knowledge and skills to pass the interviews so she can get into a good school, and Kuno has a good reputation in that area,” a woman surnamed Cui told Shanghai Daily.




 

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