Introduction

Abstract

This book systematically reviews early childhood education (ECE) in Chinese societies in the context of recent empirical and theoretical work. It is the first English-language research-based review of ECE and the factors which affect it in the following Chinese societies: the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore and Taiwan. This introductory chapter provides the rationale for the book and introduces its sections and chapters. The first section focuses on the common Chinese cultural values that underpin early childhood development and education in all the societies covered in the book. The next section focuses on the PRC and includes six chapters that consider ECE policy, governance and finance, teacher education, curriculum and pedagogy, ECE in rural China, and ECE in emergencies. The third section focuses on smaller Chinese societies with chapters detailing developments in Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, and Taiwan. The final section focuses on lessons from, and for, early childhood education in Chinese societies.