Beijing kindergartens get permanent inspectors after abuse scandal – Xinhua

FILE – In this Friday, file photo, a woman carries a child as they arrive at the RYB kindergarten in Beijing, China. (AP Photo/file)

Beijing will hire permanent inspectors to provide oversight at every one of its kindergartens following child abuse allegations at a facility run by the New York-listed RYB Education, state news agency Xinhua said late on Sunday.

The Beijing Municipal Education Commission said educational inspectors stationed at kindergartens throughout the city will submit reports on safety, sanitation and management to a central database, according to the Xinhua report.
It said safety checks are currently underway and kindergartens will be ordered to make immediate improvements should problems be found.

RYB Education said late on Saturday it had fired the head of one of its kindergartens as well as a 22-year-old female teacher following allegations that children were abused.

Xinhua reported earlier that police were checking allegations that children were “reportedly sexually molested, pierced by needles and given unidentified pills”.

The scandal has sparked outrage throughout China and RYB’s New York-listed shares plunged 38.4 percent on Friday.