Mainland babies in a class of their own when it comes to parental expectations
On a cold, wet Friday morning, only a third of the children turn up for the 45-minute class in Shanghai’s Putuo district.
It’s not as if the children can get there themselves. Junjun, the eldest, is just 21 months old. Nini, the youngest, is 19 months old.
Their young teacher begins the class by leading the children and various accompanying grandparents on a walk around the sides of a square painted on the ground.
The early education centre, which says its tuition is based on the theories of famed Italian educator Maria Montessori [Blekko], says the exercise helps calm the children and concentrate their minds for learning.
