On October 29, the second phase of Preschool Three-Year Plan has been officially launched in Yichang. 63 Kindergartens will be rebuilt and expanded by 2017. The enrollment rate of the first three years will reach more than 92%. Preschool education can be popularized in the urban areas in the city and town by 2016.

　　By the end of 2014, there are 397 nursery schools in total, of which 89 are public nursery schools, with an increase of 46 schools compared to the number in 2011. 16 schools and 27 schools have been honored as provincial level model school and municipal level model school respectively. The gross enrollment rate has increased to 86% from 73% in 2011. So far, "Enrollment difficulty" issue has been fundamentally improved.

　　In the second phase of the three-year plan, the city will gradually establish rural preschool education cost-sharing mechanism supported by public finance. Also a public service system of preschool education will be basically built with characteristics of public and generalized preferential private-run nursery schools. By 2017, the gross enrollment rate will hit more than 92%.

　　We are devoting ourselves to further accelerate the development of public nursery schools, encouraging and supporting the generalized preferential private nursery schools that the preschool education coverage will be improved. Up to 2017, the urban coverage of the public- and private nursery schools can amount to more than 80% and the other regional coverage can reach more than 90%, of which the children in township have access to the preferential service.

　　At the same time, by the fall semester in 2017, the number of those in charge of those nursery schools and authorized professional teachers can account for no less than 40%, with a rate of no less than 30% when it comes to those staff in those nursery schools in the countryside. In addition to the active aid in the development of generalized preferential private nursery schools, the municipal government will continue to provide those private nursery schools with incentives and benefits. (Reporter Cao Yu and Liu Zengshuang)