Many private kindergartens in China, having closed for months amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, are facing huge financial pressure and even the risk of bankruptcy.
While most secondary schools have reopened for ninth and twelfth graders since Monday following the education authority's suggestion, numerous kindergartens across the country are anxiously waiting for a reopening permit after having suffered zero income for nearly four months.
Baiyun District in Guangzhou responded to this call by allocating 40 million yuan in assistance funds by mid-April, the local education authority said.
"We have provided this fund for the low-cost private kindergartens across this district without requiring them to apply for it in advance," an official with the Baiyun District Education Bureau surnamed Zhuo said.
In Guangzhou, low-cost private kindergartens refer to those charging kids no more than 1,250 yuan in tuition fees per month (meal and accommodation fees excluded), which are less profitable and suffer greater financial pressure amid the closure, Zhuo explained.
An official sprays disinfectant in a kindergarten to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus
The fund can help kindergarten owners cover part of their costs on employees and facilities, including virus-control items, Zhuo said.
Like Guangzhou, governments in some other developed areas including Beijing and Shanghai have also made policies for private kindergartens, such as offering them subsidies, or reducing or exempting their rents.