Li, who works at a State-owned company, is paying 100,000 yuan ($15,870) for her 3-year-old son Jiabao to go to kindergarten this year.

"I don't mind how much I spend on my child's education, as long as the kindergarten proves a good one for my kid's growth," said Li, who did not wish to give her full name.

"He is going to be educated in Western countries, so he has to get ready and be able to speak English fluently."

Nor did Li want to identify the name of her son's school in the Wangjing area of the capital, where he started this month, but she said it promises a cozy environment, teachers from foreign countries, or Chinese teachers who can speak fluent English, and high-quality education.

"I like their teaching philosophy, which makes me happy, and hope will make my son happy," she added. "I want my money to go to the right place."

Another school, Beijing BISS International charges as much as 109,800 yuan a year for its kindergarten and first grade. The school, in the Chaoyang district, has a reputation for providing high-quality education, with its graduates having been accepted by top universities, such as Harvard and Columbia.

The school currently has more than 330 students of about 40 different nationalities. BISS believes that smaller class sizes make for better academic performance and communication.

Etonkids Huizhi Bilingual Kindergarten's Datunli campus is much less expensive, charging 68,000 yuan a year but is soon to raise fees by 10 percent.

The school says it caters for children aged 2 to 6 whose parents are "working professionals".

Etonkids Huizhi, which now has 100 children since it opened in 2010, runs six classes with three or four teachers. Class sizes range from 12 to 25. Another class due to start next month for under-3s is already full.

Places available at Golden Kids Kindergarten in Tongzhou district, east Beijing, are also scarce.

"You'd better make the decision as soon as possible," said a recruitment teacher named Yang from the school, which charges 60,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan a year. "The last spot might be taken any time."

The kindergartens justify their fees, claiming they spend heavily on hiring qualified teachers, especially those who hold foreign passports. Chinese parents, they say, prefer a bilingual environment and believe their children will adapt better to English at an early age.

"Basically I create an English environment for children, and speak as much as I can," said a 24-year-old English language teacher at Etonkids Datunli Campus. "The more they hear language, the more naturally they learn."

The teacher holds a bachelor of psychology degree from one of the top 100 colleges in the United States. He joined Etonkids a year ago.

However, having an overseas teacher doesn't come cheap. Another foreign teacher with Etonkids said they earned between 120,000 and 156,000 yuan a year, depending on experience and qualifications.

A Chinese kindergarten teacher's average annual salary in Beijing ranges from 9,600 to 36,000, according to report from Education Online website.

The monthly fee for public-funded kindergartens is less than 2,000 yuan.

Contact the writer at luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn