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Just turned three? Time to get an MBA babynewspaper.jpg

Chinese parents are reportedly enrolling their children in a pre-school MBA program by FasTracKids. The program has had 100,000 graduates since its opening in 2004 and operates over 100 centers across China. Asian parents are eager to give their kids any advantage for their future careers in the increasingly competitive job market.

The weekly 90-minute class aims to help chidren as young as three years old be "more confident and pennywise". Classes teach them virtues of teamwork, leadership and managing finances. A typical lesson involves giving kids items like leaves and leather to barter with, thereby teaching them handy negotiation skills.

Chen Xi, mom to six year old Angela, talked about her daughter to Channel News Asia, saying that the three year old is able to buy items, and figure out the proper change for herself.

The program is available for children aged three to six years old. The pressure on students in China is massive, as getting into a good company means coming from a good university, getting into a good university means coming from a good high school, and so on and so forth.

In a survey by China Youth and Children Research Center, 87 percent of students said they were under heavy pressure to do well, both from their parents and themselves, and also from competition with classmates.

The Confucian beliefs of hard work, perseverance and respecting authority have been deeply ingrained in Chinese children. This dedication was illustrated during the Yaan earthquake in April, when teachers insisted students continue studying for their exams in tents regardless of the calamity.

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