“好雨知时节,当春乃发生。”3月4日,国务院办公厅转发了教育部等10部门(单位)《关于幼儿教育改革与发展的指导意见》。春风化雨,这确是一场及时雨,因为这是一份广大幼教工作者翘首以盼的国家规范性文件。可以料想,深入学习和全面贯彻这个文件将成为中国幼教界以及所有相关部门(单位)今后一个时期的重要任务;可以料想,这个文件的出台,将极大地推动中国幼教事业健康、有序、协调地向前发展。改革开放以来,我国的基础教育取得了举世瞩目的成绩。作为基础教育的重要组成部分,幼儿教育也同样取得了长足发展。但是,与人民群众日益增长的让子女接受公平、优质幼儿教育的需求相比,与党的十六大提出的全面建设小康社会的目标相比,幼儿教育的改革与发展还存在着一定的差距。诚如全国人大常委会副委员长、民进中央主席许嘉璐在《论学前教育》一文(见《求是》2001年12月号)中所指出的那 “It is a rainy season, when spring is happening.” On March 4, the General Office of the State Council transmitted 10 guidelines on the reform and development of preschool education to the Ministry of Education. It is indeed a timely rain because it is a national regulatory document highly anticipated by a large number of preschool education workers. It can be expected that in-depth study and full implementation of this document will be an important task for the preschool education community in China and all relevant departments (units) in the coming period. It is expected that the promulgation of this document will greatly promote the healthy, orderly and coordinated development of preschool education in China To move forward. Since the reform and opening up, China’s basic education has made remarkable achievements. As an important part of basic education, early childhood education has also made great strides. However, compared with the growing demand of the masses to accept fair and high-quality early childhood education, there is still a gap between the reform and development of early childhood education and the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects proposed by the 16th CPC National Congress. As pointed out by Xu Jialu, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party in his article “On Pre-school Education” (See “Seeking Yes” December 2001)