"From Teacher to Assistant Cook Overnight"...Kindergartens Facing Mass Closures Due to Low Birthrate [In-depth Look]

Over 14,000 Kindergartens Closed in One Year
Number of Children Also Decreased by Over 5 Million

China, which once implemented the world's most stringent birth control policy, is now facing a wave of kindergarten closures due to a rapidly declining birthrate. Especially in small and medium-sized cities in rural areas where urbanization has caused a sharp population decrease, the closure of kindergartens is leading to a new social issue: unemployment among kindergarten teachers.

Kindergartens Closing, Teachers Being Laid Off

A kindergarten located in Zhejiang Province, China. Photo by Baidu

According to Lanzing Economy, which conveyed the voices of kindergarten teacher Xiao Hai from Anhui Province and Lu Lu, a former private kindergarten teacher in Qiantang District, Hangzhou, "Many kindergartens have fallen into difficulties due to a decrease in children and poor management. Some kindergartens have closed, and teachers have had no choice but to transfer or be laid off."

According to Lanzing Economy, Xiao Hai, a kindergarten teacher living in Anhui Province, was notified to transfer within the kindergarten. Due to the sharp decline in the number of children attending the kindergarten, she was told to transfer to work as a kitchen staff member in the cafeteria. Xiao Hai said, "Overnight, I went from being a kindergarten teacher to an assistant cook."

Lu Lu, who was a private kindergarten teacher in Qiantang District, Hangzhou, said the kindergarten closed in July and she was notified of her layoff a month earlier. Lu Lu explained that the situation worsened significantly due to fewer children, and many teachers lost their jobs. She said, "Since the kindergarten was a publicly listed company, compensation was possible, but many kindergarten teachers will not receive compensation." She added, "Some kindergartens that cannot afford to pay will force teachers to voluntarily resign."

According to data released by the Chinese Ministry of Education in March, there were 274,400 kindergartens and 40,929,800 children enrolled as of last year, reported Hunan Daily. Compared to 2022, 14,800 kindergartens disappeared, and the number of children decreased by 5,345,700. On average, 40 kindergartens closed every day over the past year. The number of teachers also decreased by 170,000 within a year. According to the National Statistical Statement, the number of teachers dropped from 3,244,200 in 2022 to 3,073,700 in 2023.

Lanzing Economy reported, "In August this year, Daqing City in Heilongjiang Province announced the closure of eight kindergartens. In July, the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education and Sports announced the suspension of six kindergartens due to declining student numbers and other reasons." It also noted, "In November last year, Hainan Province announced the closure of 33 private kindergartens across four districts, and in August, the Anhui Provincial Department of Education announced the suspension of 50 private kindergartens in various regions."

Kindergarten Decline Not Solely Due to Falling Birthrates

China Daily Economic News reported that experts attribute the decline in kindergartens to both falling birthrates and accelerated urbanization. They pointed out that the common factor among closed kindergartens is that they are either private or public kindergartens located in remote areas. Regions such as Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Henan have actually seen an increase in the number of kindergartens. For example, in Zhejiang Province, the number of private kindergartens decreased from 4,300 in 2022 to 3,600 last year, while public kindergartens increased by 1,267.

Public kindergartens are considered to have lower tuition fees and better educational environments compared to private kindergartens. Public kindergartens charge less than 3,000 yuan (approximately 565,500 KRW) per semester, whereas private kindergartens charge between 2,000 and 3,000 USD (about 2.63 million to 3.95 million KRW) per month. Parents, although attracted by foreign language classes and various musical instruments offered at private kindergartens, are turning to public kindergartens due to unaffordable tuition fees. Private kindergartens in rural areas have been hit hard by urbanization.

According to multiple Chinese media outlets, education experts believe the trend of kindergarten closures will continue. The number of births has been declining, with 10.62 million in 2021, 9.56 million in 2022, and 9.02 million in 2023. Closed kindergartens in China are reportedly being repurposed as nursing homes or converted into nearby elementary school buildings. At last year's National Education Work Conference, it was emphasized to Maeil Business Newspaper that "a deep understanding of changes in population and social structure is necessary," and "urgent changes in adjustments such as workforce and space reallocation are required."