Several districts in Shenzhen have released a list of schools with available day care services for primary school students during the summer vacation after the city’s education authority issued a pilot plan for the services July 11, local media reported.
According to notices released by district education bureaus, some primary schools in Luohu, Nanshan, Yantian, Bao’an, Longgang and Pingshan districts have set their services in two phases during the summer vacation. For example, in Futian and Luohu districts, schools piloting the day care services will start their first-phase trial from today to July 30 and the second phase from Aug. 9 to 20, with daily operation times from 8:30 a.m., or 8 a.m., to 5 p.m., excluding weekends.
Most pilot schools in these districts charge each student 70 yuan (US$10.80) per day, which includes lunch meal fees, according to the notices.
Futian’s Xinsha Primary School has 40 students registered for the service, according to the school. Chen Zhihua, principal of the Xinsha Primary School, said that each day care class has two teachers, one college volunteer and several parent volunteers to serve students.
The day care services of three Nanshan primary schools are open for students from grades 1 to 5 to register until Wednesday. The schools will provide their two-phase day care services from July 26 to Aug. 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding weekends. The three schools are: Nantou Primary School, Yucai No. 2 Primary School and Southern University of Science and Technology No. 2 Experimental Primary School.
The day care services not only include times for reading and homework but also activities such as movie-viewing, sports and eye-care exercises.
A working mother said that the service is worth a try because she is busy and has no other adults to help at home. The services save costs and ensure her kid’s safety at the same time, according to local media reports.