Parents gather outside the gate of the RYB Education New World kindergarten in Chaoyang District of Beijing on Thursday, November 23, 2017. (Photo: IC)

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Education launched inspections on the capital’s kindergartens after reports of abuse and molestation emerged from a school owned by a US-listed company on Friday.  A statement was released Sunday calling for improvements in kindergarten management to ensure child security and safety.

The requirements established by education authorities should now mandate that related departments need to conduct comprehensive reviews of kindergartens in areas of safety, sanitation, first-aid training, management personnel and background checks on potential teachers.  A shared database that all schools have access to needs to be in place which would help with the flow of information and communication.  

And greater attention needs to be given to security and safety, like better fire prevention and rescue methods, along with increased cafeteria health standards. 

Every kindergarten should also have a supervisor who is solely responsible for overseeing and regulating the school’s classrooms and activities.  

A communication platform between parents and their children at school would also be beneficial. This kind of platform would provide parents with the opportunity to get more involved with their child’s education and development, while also serving as an added layer of security.   

The guidelines and management details for this new role would develop as the new system progressed. 

The role of this new kindergarten supervisor would be two-fold. One, they would be responsible for encouraging the school’s teachers to follow a strict code of ethics. And two, they would help teachers and staff adhere to education standards and child well-being.

Besides, how much more abuse will the children of China endure before improvements in school security and safety are made?