免费学前教育落地观察：家长的减负与园长的烦恼

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the implementation of a national policy to waive preschool education fees for children in their final year of kindergarten, highlighting the financial support from the government and the varying responses from public and private kindergartens across different regions [1][4][12]. Group 1: Policy Implementation - The national government has allocated 20 billion yuan to gradually promote free preschool education, specifically waiving fees for children in their final year of kindergarten [1][4]. - Various regions, including Shandong, Hainan, and Liaoning, have released detailed plans for implementing the fee waiver, with Hainan aiming for full coverage of public kindergartens by the fall semester of 2025 [4][12]. - Local governments are required to provide financial support to kindergartens affected by the fee waiver, with Shandong planning to allocate 720 million yuan to support approximately 774,700 children [4][5]. Group 2: Execution Challenges - There are discrepancies in the execution of the fee waiver policy, particularly regarding the eligibility of children over six years old, leading to confusion among parents and kindergartens [6][11]. - Some private kindergartens have reported delays in receiving government subsidies, which has led to concerns about their financial stability and the potential for reduced quality of education [10][11]. - The article notes that some private kindergartens are adopting a "pre-collect and post-refund" approach, causing further complications in the implementation of the fee waiver [7][10]. Group 3: Quality Assurance - The article emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the quality of preschool education does not decline as a result of the fee waiver policy, with various regions establishing mechanisms to maintain funding levels for educational quality [12][13]. - Local governments are encouraged to enhance financial input to support the quality of preschool education, with specific measures being taken in places like Guangdong to ensure adequate funding per child [12][13].