Experts interpret the gradual implementation of free preschool education

Lay a solid foundation for the construction of a powerful education country and the high-quality development of population

On July 25, the State Council executive meeting deployed measures to gradually implement free preschool education. The meeting pointed out that gradually implementing free preschool education is an important measure to benefit the people, involving thousands of households and long-term development. It is necessary to guide all regions to refine work plans as soon as possible, arrange subsidy funds according to the proportion of sharing, and ensure timely and full payment. It is necessary to strengthen dynamic monitoring and evaluation, scientifically calculate the cost of running kindergartens, coordinate subsidy policies for public and private kindergartens, and do a good job in policy connection and basic guarantee for families with economic difficulties, orphans, disabled children and other groups. It is necessary to consider factors such as changes in school-age population and financial status, adhere to the principle of ensuring basic and universal benefits, further improve the investment mechanism of preschool education, strengthen infrastructure construction, improve the treatment of kindergarten teachers, and enhance the quality level of running kindergartens. It is necessary to strengthen the supervision and management of preschool education, strictly implement supervision responsibilities, regulate the behavior of running kindergartens, and effectively protect the physical and mental health of children in kindergartens.

"Gradually implementing free pre-school education as a measure that combines social benefits and livelihood warmth not only reflects the policy orientation of prioritizing education development and high-quality population development, but also continuously injects human capital impetus into the construction of Chinese path to modernization," said Liang Wenyan, Vice Dean of the School of Education Management at Beijing Normal University. She believes that the gradual implementation of free pre-school education from theory to practice is precisely the key to prioritizing public education resources towards the critical period of children's development, allowing more children to enjoy high-quality pre-school education.

Previously, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed to "explore the gradual expansion of the scope of free education" and "gradually implement free pre-school education" was written into this year's government work report.

"China's proposal to gradually implement free preschool education is a scientific decision made by the CPC Central Committee after fully considering the needs of the people and supporting national strategies in the new era," said Wang Jian, director of the Institute of Education Finance at the National Institute of Education Sciences. "It requires us to base on China's national conditions and educational situation, learn from foreign experience, and do a good job in policy design and implementation, laying a solid foundation for the construction of a powerful country in education and the high-quality development of the population."

"Free education reduces the cost of family education, and increases the responsibility of the country and the government. It is a deep consideration of people's livelihood and well-being, further strengthening the public service attribute of preschool education," said Gao Bingcheng, an associate researcher at the Institute of Basic Education of the Chinese Academy of Education Sciences. Gradually implementing free preschool education can reduce the economic burden and parenting pressure on families, reduce the expenditure on preschool education, help alleviate the anxiety of young families in raising children to a certain extent, boost the willingness of families to have children, release the potential of fertility, and actively respond to the challenges of population structure. 　　

Source: China Education Daily, July 26, 2025