Education question mark for parents

Big increase recorded in numbers of children under 6 taking lessons
How much money is it reasonable to spend on the education of a child aged below 6? For some parents, not a single jiao is needed because they believe parents can educate their offspring perfectly. Others may spend more than 50 percent of their monthly income on programs and learning materials for their youngsters.

Yang Yimei, 35, a full-time housewife, said she spends some 4,000 yuan ($635) on buying books, DVDs and intelligence development toys for her 5-year-old daughter. Another 2,000 yuan is spent on early childhood education programs, such as play and music courses and piano lessons. The monthly income of the family is 13,000 yuan.

"We have seen increasing members in the past decade and an expanding market in early childhood education, especially with the high-end programs," said Stella Chen, general manager of Gymboree China Play and Music, a high-end early childhood education service provider.

Chen said more than 700,000 children have joined programs of more than 200 Gymboree Play and Music centers in more than 100 cities around China since the brand entered the country in 2002.

The average spending on each child who was signed up for courses at Gymboree China Play and Music centers is about 8,000 yuan per year, according to Chen.
"Some keen parents may bring their children to our classes three times a week. The annual spending can reach 20,000 yuan to 30,000 yuan," said Chen.

A survey shows that 65 percent of the parents of children who take classes at Gymboree receive a monthly income between 10,000 and 20,000 yuan. About 25 percent of the parents are business owners and some 10 percent are expats working in China.

Read More:http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2012-06/11/content_15492182.htm