RYB Education (Chinese: 红黄蓝教育; NYSERYB) is a publicly listed company for preschool education in the People's Republic of China. As measured by annual total revenues in 2016, the company is the largest provider of early childhood education service in China.[1] It owns three preschool-educational brands, namely RYB Parent-Child Garden, RYB Kindergarten, and Zhudou Parenting App-kit Club,[2] and has strategic cooperation with some American preschool education institutes. The firm is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.[1][2][3][4] The company was registered in the Cayman Islands, and its headquarter is in Beijing.[5][dead link]

RYB Education
Native name
红黄蓝教育
Company typePublic company
NYSEGEHI
IndustryPreschool education
Founded1998
FounderShi Yanlai (史燕来) and Cao Chimin (曹赤民)
HeadquartersBeijing, China
Area served
Mainland China
Websitewww.rybbaby.com

Background edit

RYB Education was founded by Cao Chimin (曹赤民) and Shi Yanlai (史燕来) in 1998.[3][6][7]

Shi Yanlai was a student in Peking University.[8] She and Cao Chimin both obtained master's degree from Australian National University and Tsinghua University.[6]

At the beginning, RYB Parent-Child Garden invited Liang Zhiyan (梁志焱) from Beijing Normal University to establish a teaching and research centre, and they developed some preschool courses.[3][7] By the end of 1999, their first parent-child courses were started,. followed by courses aiming at various ages.[6][9] In 2000, RYB Education obtained a licence for the education of 0-6-year-old kids from the education bureau.[3] After three years, RYB Parent-Child Garden started to have direct educational institutes,.[7]

In the year 2001, 38 shareholders of RYB Education established Beijing RYB Education Inc, and Shi Yanlai was appointed chairperson of the board of directors.[7] In the same year, franchising started to be allowed.[7]

RYB Education started trading on the New York Stock Exchange on 27 September 2017.[1][2][4] Its documentation for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission showed the shareholding status: Ascendent Rainbow (Cayman) Limited was the principal shareholder, with 30.1 percent of the shares;.[6] Cao Chimin, was second, with 23.6 percent, and Shi Yanla third, with 13.5 percent.[6]

Problems edit

During the expanding of the firm from 2010 to 2017, several RYB kindergartens were closed, or disappeared in Zhengzhou in Henan, Weifang in Shandong, Yibin in Sichuan, and Tianjin.[10][11] There were also problems with disease: by the end of June 2016, several toddlers were infected with HFMD at RYB kindergartens in Wankecheng Branch in Qingdao.[12]

Abuse claims edit

Some kindergartens under RYB Education has been reported to abuse toddlers. The first reported incident occurred in December 2015 in Tiexi District, Siping City, Jilin Province, China, where the RYB kindergarten was reported to abuse about 30 toddlers with needle stabbing. The kindergarten director claimed that since the kindergarten was monitored over CCTV, the teachers did not have chances to abuse the children. However, this kindergarten was closed by the Bureau of Education of Tiexi District, and 5 teachers were detained by the police. In 2016, four of the teachers were sentenced to two years and ten months' imprisonment for guardianship abuse. The prosecution accused the defendants of stabbing several children with sewing needles on their heads, limbs, buttocks, and legs, deliberately avoiding the CCTV, and threatening the children with punishment. These four defendants claimed they were not guilty, and they all lodged appeals. In December 2016, Intermediate People's Court of Siping, Jilin dismissed the appeals and upheld the original verdicts.[13][14][15]

In April 2017, a video about the kindergarten circulated on the internet, showing kindergarten teacher hustling and kicking the children in their charge. That month, RYB Education established emergency group to track the incident, and said that it had exposed some problems on management that should be concentrated on and should be dealt by law.[13][16] In November, 2017, more than ten parents of children at the Beijing school reported that their children in a class at RYB Education Xintiandi Kindergarten in Guanzhuang, Chaoyang District, Beijing were needle-abused and were given white pills of unknown ingredients, and provided a number of photos allegedly showed toddlers' pinholes.[17][18][19][20][21] The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau Chaoyang Branch investigated. After the incident was reported on 23 November by the Beijing News,[22] other media scrambled to report. Dozens of parents who wanted to know about the situation tried to meet with the registrar, asking to watch the kindergarten's surveillance video, but were stopped by the security guard.[23][24]

On 25 November, the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau declared that one kindergarten teacher was detained for toddler abuse, and one parent was arrested for making up rumours.[25][26] On 28 November, the Bureau sent a post on Sina Weibo that stated that nobody had sexually assaulted toddlers.[27] The post also claimed that "feeding drugs" and "sexual assault" were rumours made up by the two parents.[28][29]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Chinese firm RYB Education rings NYSE opening bell to mark its IPO". Xinhuanet. 28 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "红黄蓝挂牌纽交所 借助国际资本发力学前教育" [Red, yellow and blue listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with the help of international capital to develop pre-education] (in Chinese (China)). Xinhuanet. 27 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d "关于红黄蓝" [About red, yellow and blue] (in Chinese (China)). RYB Education official website. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  4. ^ a b "红黄蓝教育成功登陆纽交所 上市首日暴涨40%" [Red, Yellow and Blue Education successfully landed on the New York Stock Exchange and soared 40% on the first day of listing.]. stock.qq.com (in Chinese (China)). QQ.com. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  5. ^ "红黄蓝:人间失格" [Red, yellow and blue: disqualification in the world]. usstock.jrj.com.cn (in Chinese (China)). 金融界. 24 November 2017. Archived from the original on 29 November 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e "起底扎针幼儿园红黄蓝:讲情怀的创始人和神秘大股东" [The Red, Yellow, and Blue of Qi Di Zhi Acupuncture Kindergarten: The Emotional Founder and Mysterious Major Shareholder] (in Chinese (China)). Sina.com.cn. 23 November 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e "红黄蓝教育机构总裁史燕来: 从0到1000,我们做了什么" [Shi Yanlai, President of Red Yellow Blue Educational Institution: From 0 to 1000, what have we done?] (in Chinese (China)). 中国民办教育协会学前教育. 13 November 2017.
  8. ^ "120年120人,史燕来受邀与北大校友分享红黄蓝成长之路" [120 people in 120 years, Shi Yanlai was invited to share the growth path of Red, Yellow and Blue with Peking University alumni]. www.jwb.com.cn (in Chinese (China)). Jwb.com.cn. 31 October 2017.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ "股价一天暴跌40% "红黄蓝虐童案"背后的N个细节" ["The stock price plunged 40% in one day" N details behind the Red, Yellow and Blue Child Abuse Case] (in Chinese (China)). NetEase. 24 November 2017. Archived from the original on 29 November 2017.
  10. ^ "红黄蓝召开投资者电话会 调查结果未如预期公布" [Red, Yellow and Blue held an investor conference call and the survey results were not announced as expected]. Caixin (in Chinese (China)). 25 November 2017.
  11. ^ "扎针、喂药片、裸身罚站...红黄蓝幼儿园被曝虐童!曾在天津发生跑路事件!" [Acupuncture, feeding pills, and being forced to stand naked...Red, Yellow, and Blue Kindergarten was exposed for child abuse! There was an incident of running away in Tianjin!]. Sina.com.cn (in Chinese (China)). 23 November 2017.
  12. ^ Yan, Zhang (23 November 2017). "红黄蓝幼儿园教师称家长造谣夸大 班级仍正常上课" [Red, yellow and blue kindergarten teachers say that parents spread rumors and exaggerate, and the class is still in normal classes]. Sina.com.cn (in Chinese (China)).
  13. ^ a b "红黄蓝虐童旧案:4名幼教针扎幼儿不认罪 获刑逾两年" [Old Red, Yellow, and Blue child abuse case: 4 preschool educators who stabbed children with needles pleaded not guilty and were sentenced to more than two years in prison.]. finance.sina.com.cn (in Chinese (China)). Sina.com.cn. 23 November 2017.
  14. ^ "王璐,孙艳华虐待被监护、看护人罪二审裁定书" [Wang Lu and Sun Yanhua's second-instance ruling on the crime of abusing guardians and caregivers]. wenshu.court.gov.cn (in Chinese (China)). 中国裁判文书网. 31 December 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  15. ^ "宋瑞琪,王玉皎虐待被监护、看护人罪一审刑事判决书" [Song Ruiqi and Wang Yujiao's first-instance criminal verdict on the crime of abusing guardians and caregivers] (in Chinese (China)). 中国裁判文书网. 4 January 2017. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  16. ^ "红黄蓝幼儿园大红门分园教师被指打孩子 园长被停职" [A teacher at the Dahongmen Branch of Red, Yellow and Blue Kindergarten was accused of beating a child, and the principal was suspended.] (in Chinese (China)). NetEase. 20 April 2017.
  17. ^ McDonell, Stephen (24 November 2017). "Beijing nursery 'needle abuse' of children shocks China". BBC News. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  18. ^ "Teacher detained in Beijing nursery 'needle abuse' probe". BBC News. 25 November 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  19. ^ woo, Ryan; Li, Pei (26 November 2017). Cameron-Moore, Simon (ed.). "China's RYB Education fires head of Beijing kindergarten embroiled in abuse scandal". Reuters. Reuters. Archived from the original on 26 November 2017.
  20. ^ Leng, Sydney (25 November 2017). "Chinese police detain RYB kindergarten teacher over child abuse claims". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 26 November 2017.
  21. ^ Rui, Li; Xuhou, Chen; Yuman, Xie (23 November 2017). "北京一幼儿园被指对幼儿扎针喂药,区教委成立工作组驻园调查" [A kindergarten in Beijing was accused of injecting needles and feeding medicine to children. The district education committee set up a working group to investigate in the kindergarten.]. 澎湃新闻 (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  22. ^ Yang, Liu; Yanyan, Zuo (23 November 2017). "朝阳一红黄蓝幼儿园多名幼儿身上现针眼 警方介入调查" [Several children in a red, yellow and blue kindergarten in Chaoyang showed needles. The police intervened in the investigation.]. Xinhuanet (in Chinese (China)). Archived from the original on 29 November 2017.
  23. ^ "扎针、喂药片、裸身罚站...红黄蓝幼儿园被曝虐童!曾在天津发生跑路事件!" (in Chinese (China)). Sina.com.cn. 23 November 2017.
  24. ^ "除了国际班 红黄蓝小小班孩子疑似也被喂白色甜的药". Sina.com.cn (in Chinese (China)). 24 November 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  25. ^ "22岁红黄蓝女教师被刑拘 31岁北京女子造谣被行拘" [Xi Jinping met with German Chancellor Scholz Xi Jinping and walked and talked with Scholz]. news.ifeng.com (in Chinese (China)). 凤凰网. 26 November 2017.
  26. ^ 中国之声; Chen, Liang; Kaixin, Yi (26 November 2017). Debin, Liu (ed.). "夜探红黄蓝:家长称被拘教师文静"不敢相信是她"" [Night Detective Red, Yellow and Blue: Parents said that the detained teacher Wen Jing "can't believe it's her]. 新浪 (in Chinese (China)).
  27. ^ "朝阳警方通报红黄蓝"猥亵"调查:未发现有人对儿童实施侵害" [Chaoyang police report red, yellow and blue "obscenity" investigation: No one was found to have violated children]. NetEase (in Chinese (China)). 28 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  28. ^ Yanyan, Zuo; Yang, Liu (28 November 2017). "北京朝阳警方:"红黄蓝幼儿园猥亵幼童"系编造" [Beijing Chaoyang Police: "Red, Yellow and Blue Kindergarten molested young children" is fabricated"]. 中国网 (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  29. ^ Stephen McDonell (30 November 2017). "China: Nursery abuse probe provokes widespread distrust". BBC News. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.

External links edit