Labor education in kindergartens shapes young minds

　　Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

A kindergarten in Luohe, Central China's Henan Province, has recently captured wide attention - not for its playgrounds or storybooks, but for the sound of wheat being sifted and the aroma of fresh dough. Viral videos show children bustling around stoves and fields: sifting grain with practiced hands, kneading dough with focus, and even teaming up to make roast chicken. Wearing aprons and standing on tiptoe to stir pots, or carrying firewood barefoot across muddy ground, these children present a strikingly different image of preschool life, Henan TV reported. This "alternative kindergarten" has sparked widespread discussion about the role of labor in early childhood education.

As Chinese educational reformer Tao Xingzhi once said, "Life itself is education." Allowing children to solve real-world problems in authentic settings may be far more meaningful than rote learning.

Labor-based teaching is currently trending in many places in China. In Xuzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, children in one kindergarten tend to their own vegetable patch, even harvesting watermelons. In Yibin, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, a "mending class" teaches kindergarten students to sew and repair everyday items, according to Southern Metropolis Daily. These examples challenge the popular notion that kindergartens are only about slides and picture books.

Supporters of labor education believe it fills a crucial gap in modern child development. Du Jun, a Beijing resident whose daughter is in her second year at a kindergarten, told the Global Times that she supports this approach: "This is exactly what today's children are missing. It develops their practical skills, but more importantly, it nurtures responsibility and independence."

Indeed, the significance of labor education extends far beyond learning a skill. When children experience the laborious process of sifting grain and kneading dough, they gain a visceral understanding of how food is produced, fostering a real connection to the material world. Teamwork in the kitchen - such as making roast chicken - teaches communication, division of labor, and a sense of shared responsibility. Labor is not treated as a burden, but as a vehicle for cognitive development and emotional growth.

China officially incorporated labor education into its national education policy in 2018, elevating it to a core component of the revised compulsory education curriculum. According to Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, the goal is to reverse longstanding prejudices against manual labor and ordinary workers. "By introducing labor education in kindergartens, we foster a healthy respect for work from an early age and help children develop correct values," Xiong told the Global Times. "This is a return to the essence of early childhood education."

Xiong further emphasized that labor and handicraft classes are an active exploration of the"de-primary-schooling" of kindergartens, which aims to prevent primary school-style education in kindergartens. "By engaging children in practical activities, we cultivate their ability to manage daily life and promote their physical and mental well-being. This requires society as a whole to adopt the right perspective. Labor education is not just about teaching life skills; it's about instilling the right values. To achieve this, everyone must work to eliminate the bias and discrimination against labor."

However, not all parents are equally enthusiastic. With her daughter having just started kindergarten this year, Wan Fang, a mother from Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province, voiced her concerns about safety: "My daughter is very young - Can she recognize the dangers of open flames or sharp tools? Can teachers really keep every child safe in such an environment?"

Some voices also advocate for professional risk assessments and environment modifications before launching such programs. There should be protective gear, sufficient staff, age-appropriate alternatives for hazardous tools, and strict food safety and sanitation protocols. Most importantly, parents must be fully informed and give their consent. The guiding principle should be "age-appropriate, moderate, and controllable," always adhering to the fundamental norms of early childhood education and the basic standards of child protection.

Despite widespread praise for these innovative programs, many questioned whether they can be replicated more broadly. In reality, urban and rural areas differ in resources and family attitudes, making one-size-fits-all approaches impossible. Labor education cannot simply be copied or blindly imitated. It must avoid becoming a performance or burden for children, and must be kept free from unhealthy competition or peer pressure.

The popularity of labor-based kindergartens reflects deeper social rethinking of traditional educational paradigms and a growing appetite for diversity in early childhood education. Regardless of whether the reactions are positive or skeptical, these experiments have opened new possibilities and discussions about what preschool should look like. The rise of labor-based teaching is not a wholesale rejection of traditional methods, but a timely reminder for parents and educators alike: True education should inspire children to reach for the stars, but also teach them to keep their feet firmly on the ground.

As labor-based activities become more visible, they challenge prevailing ideas about childhood, education, and success. They invite society to reconsider what skills and values will truly serve children as they grow, according to Xiong. In a rapidly changing world, perhaps the most valuable lesson is not just how to read and write, but how to work with one's hands, cooperate with others, and appreciate the dignity and meaning of honest labor.

Whether sifting wheat, kneading dough, or simply learning to clean up after themselves, children in these kindergartens are gaining something precious: a firsthand understanding of the world, and an education that is as down-to-earth as it is uplifting.