الصين: تعليم مجاني في رياض الأطفال لمواجهة انخفاض المواليد

China announced the exemption of last-year children in public kindergartens from tuition fees, and a reduction in fees for eligible private schools starting from the next semester, as part of a gradual plan to provide free preschool education.

This step comes after last week's announcement of support for child care up to the age of three, aimed at boosting the low birth rate.

The Chinese State Council (the Cabinet) issued guidelines to provide financial support to compensate kindergartens for the impact of these measures, urging local governments to enhance the allocation of funds and oversight to ensure the continuity of kindergarten operations and prevent salary delays.

The guidelines also emphasized the necessity of including the salaries of public kindergarten teachers in financial guarantees to ensure they are paid in full and on time.

China is facing a continuous decline in its population for the third consecutive year in 2024, due to falling birth rates following the one-child policy (1980-2015) and rapid urban expansion.

High costs of child care and education, along with concerns about job opportunities, are deterring many young Chinese from marrying and starting families, exacerbating the demographic crisis that experts have warned about.

The Chinese government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting kindergartens to ensure their sustainability, focusing on improving the preschool education environment as part of a broader strategy to stimulate birth rates.