中国两部门发布支持学前教育发展资金管理新规

Core Viewpoint - The Chinese Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education have revised the "Management Measures for Supporting the Development of Preschool Education Funds" to standardize and strengthen the management of related funds, focusing on improving the quality of preschool education and implementing a policy to waive childcare fees for the final year of preschool education starting from the fall semester of 2025 [1] Summary by Relevant Sections - Funding Utilization: The funds for supporting preschool education will primarily be used to enhance the quality of preschool education and implement the policy of waiving childcare fees for children in public kindergartens during their final year [1] - Policy Implementation: From the fall semester of 2025, childcare fees will be waived for children in public kindergartens, and similar fee reductions will apply to children in private kindergartens based on local public kindergarten standards. The funding for this policy will be jointly borne by central and local finances, benefiting approximately 12 million children in the upcoming fall semester [1] - Support for Local Areas: The funds will also support local areas in addressing the shortage of inclusive resources, improving the funding mechanism for inclusive preschool education, enhancing teaching quality, and reinforcing the support system for economically disadvantaged children [1] - Financial Management Guidelines: Local authorities are reminded to allocate the childcare fee subsidy funds in a timely and sufficient manner to ensure the normal operation of kindergartens. The funds are strictly prohibited from being used for balancing budgets, repaying debts, paying interest, or external investments, and cannot be used to cover operational or management expenses [1]