CRI听力:Authorities Try to Improve Public Education Resources

It didn't take long for classes at the Beijing Children's Palace to fill up after they opened for enrollment. Many parents believe that taking one or two art courses now will give their children an edge in the future.

"No courses are available on the first day of enrollment, but I am still here to see whether someone quits so I can sign up my kid."

"I think it is good for a child's future if they master a skill early, something that may be helpful in their career development."

Thousands of students and parents lined up overnight on Friday to apply for admission to the Beijing Children's Palace. The crush of people even broke the entrance gate.

And even though hundreds of spots have been added, the school still could not accommodate the huge demand. Beijing Children's Palace Director Gao Shiqi has vowed to offer more activities to meet demand this year.

"For the students who fail to get enrolled in our courses, we have planned to organize more than 60 non-profit activities throughout the year. In this way, 50-thousand children are able to enjoy our good educational resources."

He also announced plans to change enrollment procedures, to relieve the long lineups and on-the-spot pressure. That includes organizing enrollment by subject on different days.

Yuan Zhenguo, a member with the National Education Advisory Committee, says authorities should consider building more public spaces for children during city planning.

"The lack of children's activity space is short-sighted. Many public institutions have been turned into super-competitive cram schools or they are very expensive. There isn't much space for children and teenagers to develop interests and talents freely. So during city planning, the government should consider building children's public activity space. "

Beijing has only 50 government-funded part-time schools, and the Beijing Children's Palace is the only one funded at the municipal level. All of them are highly sought after for their well-trained faculty and low tuition fees.

And the scarcity of public education resources is not unique to Beijing. The problem is also quite familiar in big cities like Shanghai and Guangzhou.

For CRI, this is Li Jing.