央地合力，让免费学前教育政策扎根落地

Core Viewpoint - The implementation of free preschool education policy in China is a significant step towards achieving educational equity and optimizing population structure, aiming for long-term social benefits [2] Group 1: Policy Overview - The State Council has issued an opinion on gradually promoting free preschool education, marking a historic step in building a high-quality education system and promoting educational equity [2] - The policy aims to transition preschool education from "universal" to "universal free" through systematic design, addressing the needs of families for early childhood education [2] Group 2: Implementation Principles - The policy emphasizes gradual implementation, government investment, and collaborative efforts between central and local governments, ensuring a nationwide public service framework for preschool education [2] - Starting from the autumn semester of 2025, public kindergarten fees for the final year (usually the big class) will be waived, alleviating the financial burden on families with children entering primary school [2] Group 3: Equity in Policy Design - The policy ensures equal treatment for both public and private kindergartens, allowing private institutions to benefit from fee reductions based on local public kindergarten standards [3] - Special provisions are made for economically disadvantaged regions, maintaining existing preferential policies for areas like Tibet and Xinjiang [3] - The policy encourages provinces to enhance support for economically disadvantaged children, orphans, and disabled children, with a future aim to establish a unified support system [3] Group 4: Financial Support and Coordination - The financial responsibility for preschool education is shared between central and local governments, with a differentiated funding approach favoring economically weaker regions [4] - Central government subsidies will vary by region, with a maximum of 80% support for the most disadvantaged areas, ensuring the policy's effective implementation [4] - Provinces are tasked with developing specific implementation plans and ensuring timely allocation of funds to kindergartens, particularly private ones [4] Group 5: Monitoring and Evaluation - The policy includes mechanisms for timely evaluation and dynamic adjustment, ensuring alignment with existing preschool education funding policies [5] - Strengthened oversight through information technology will prevent misuse of funds and ensure that financial resources are effectively utilized for the operation of kindergartens and timely payment of teachers' salaries [5]