Chinese childhood education covers preschool children up to 6 years old. The Ministry of Education P.R.C establishes the instruction levels of children based on their ages and abilities. These programs help children develop their perception, language, life skills, math abilities etc.

Most kindergartens in China accept children between the ages of 3 and 6. Currently, there are 150,000 kindergarten students in China. However, only about 30% of children in this age group get their education in schools. The rest of the children are home-schooled because of financial or other reasons.

There are two types of kindergartens in China: public and private. Public kindergartens tend to be better established and require less money. Private kindergartens usually charge fees, but they do offer specialization and other features. Private schools can also easily adapt their curriculums to changing educational environments. As the market economy develops, the number of private kindergartens increases.