20240823 China Kindergarten

Children from a kindergarten read at a public library in Yantai in eastern China's Shandong province. The number of children enrolled in preschool education fell by 5 million in 2023 to 40.92 million, the lowest figure since 2014. (FeatureChina via AP) © AP

China's kindergarten closures foreshadow economic hit from falling births

20,000 schools shut in two years; Beijing seeks urgent solutions as workforce shrinks

SHANGHAI -- Angels Kindergarten, a private international kindergarten in Shanghai's western suburb of Qingpu, once boasted 16 classrooms, two large playgrounds, its own medical staff and foreign teachers for its bilingual curriculum. Now, school's out -- for good.

On a recent visit, the kindergarten's campus was deserted, closed in the summer after 18 years in business. Astroturf stripped from its playgrounds lay in front of its colorful multistory building.

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