Photo: VCG

 Kindergartens will have no chance of passing the annual inspection conducted by educational authorities once they are found abusing children or imposing corporal punishments on them, China's Ministry of Education said on Thursday.

The ministry, with another eight government agencies, released an action plan to improve the preschool education during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. It requires strengthening supervision and seeking accountability on the irregular behaviors of kindergarten operation.

According to the plan, kindergartens must rectify themselves on the potential safety risks hidden in dilapidated buildings and incomplete security facilities built through the combination of security guards, physical construction and technology usage. 

Those whose heads and teachers don't possess required qualifications are required to rectify as well. Any acts of children abuse or physical punishment will give the kindergarten no chance of passing the annual inspection. The inspection is the precondition for operation, with people involved to be held accountable by law, said the plan.

Abuse cases in kindergarten have increased public concerns in recent years. The society calls for strengthening monitoring on kindergartens with media reports exposure of children getting slapped on their faces, pricked by needles or beaten and dragged. 

Global Times