The government work report submitted to the Third Session of the 14th National People’s Congress for review on March 5, 2025 proposed that free preschool education will be gradually implemented and the construction of a high-quality education system will be accelerated.
China will promote free preschool education in a phased way as part of the country’s efforts to build a high-quality education system, according to the government work report submitted to the third session of the 14th National People’s Congress for delegation on March 5, 2025.
On February 20, 2025, in the Kindergarten of Rizhao City, Shandong Province, the teacher was taking care of the children for dinner. (Photo source: Xinhua News Agency)
【Knowledge Points】
According to the “Preschool Education Law of the People’s Republic of China” passed on November 8, 2024 and will come into effect on June 1, 2025, preschool education refers to the childcare and education implemented by preschool education institutions such as kindergartens to children aged three to before entering primary school.
On March 5, 2025, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council proposed in his government work report that free preschool education should be gradually implemented. As the starting point of basic education, preschool education is related to the vital interests of thousands of households. The “Outline of the Planning for Building a Strong Education Country (2024-2035)” issued in January 2025 clearly states that “exploring the gradual expansion of the scope of free education.” The Preschool Education Law of the People’s Republic of China stipulates that “places with conditions gradually promote the implementation of free preschool education to reduce the cost of family care education.”
Data from the Ministry of Education shows that in 2023, the number of kindergartens nationwide was 274,000, and the number of children in kindergarten was 40.93 million. The gross enrollment rate in the three years before the school year was 91.1%, an increase of 26.6 percentage points from 2012, reaching the average level of high-income countries in the world. Gradually implementing free preschool education is expected to benefit tens of millions of families.
【Important Speech】
We must promote the popularization, universal, safe and high-quality development of preschool education, and promote the high-quality and balanced development of compulsory education and urban-rural integration.
Work must be done to promote the popularity as well as safe and quality development of preschool education for the benefit of all, and promote high-quality, balanced and integrated development of urban and rural compulsory education.
——On May 29, 2023, Xi Jinping’s important speech during the fifth collective study session of the 20th Central Political Bureau
【Related Words】
Childcare service development
development of childrencare services
Preschool public service system
preschool public-service system
China Daily Network English Dots and Tianjin Studio (this article was first published on the “Study Strong Country” learning platform)
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[Editor in charge: Chen Danni]
