丹麥幼兒園新政鼓勵家長“造人”

丹麥中部城市一些幼兒園近期推出了一項難以拒絕的優惠服務，他們將在週四晚上免費提供兩小時兒童看護服務，目的是爲了讓這些孩子的父母有時間多“造人”。當地幼兒園一位工作人員表示，兒童數量減少意味着幼兒園的前景堪憂，他們推出這項服務也是爲了引起人們對低出生率加以關注。如果此舉成效明顯，幼兒園將考慮將其常態化。丹麥的人口出生率在全世界221個國家中位於第185位。隨着老齡人口不斷增加，丹麥將無力承擔老年人的養老金支出和其他福利性補貼。受低出生率的影響，各地幼兒園從政府得到的資金支持也將被削減，從而導致該行業從業人員工作不保。

A group of nursery workers in central Denmark have made parents an offer that they might find hard to refuse.

They have promised to provide two hours' free childcare on Thursday evening, so that the parents can go to bed and make more babies.

Dorte Nyman of the Grasshoppers kindergarten in North Fyn said a lack of young children meant the future of local nurseries was uncertain.

She expected nearly half of the nursery's families to accept the offer.

"We have 42 children in the kindergarten, and we'll be looking after 20 tonight," she told the BBC.

Not all, though, are likely to use their free time for the intended purpose.

"Lots say: 'We'll bring our children to the party but you won't be getting any more children out of us!'" she said.

Ms Nyman said she would be laying on food and playing music and holding a party for the children.

If any of them ask what the party is for, "we'll tell them it's to give the parents a chance to speak at home", she says.

Six other kindergartens in the area are also offering the same service, for one night only - though Ms Nyman said if their plan was successful, they would be happy to do it all over again.

The nursery workers want to draw attention to the dwindling number of births and to do something about it.

In terms of birth rate, Denmark languishes at 185th out of 221 countries in the world, says the BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Copenhagen.

If the increasingly older population continues to expand, Denmark will not be able to support pensioners and others dependent on state benefits, he says.

Ms Nyman said as well as the low birth rate, nurseries were also facing a cut in their funding from local government.

"Without money we can't look after the children well, and if there aren't enough children, there are not enough jobs for our workers."