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Chinese government issues new policy on pre-school education, tightens regulations on private investment

Summary 

In November 2018, China's State Council and the Communist Party Central Committee issued a document titled "Several Opinions on Deepening the Reform and Standardization of Pre-school Education". The document emphasised the role of public and inclusive private pre-schools, as well as setting enrolment targets and calling for improved teacher training, quality management and supervision. It also introduced restrictions on private investment in pre-school education providers.

The Opinions reiterate the target set out in China's current Five Year Plan of 85 per cent of children entering licensed three-year pre-school education by 2020. Beyond this, it sets targets for at least 50 per cent of these students to be enrolled in public pre-schools and for at least 80 per cent to be in either public or "inclusive" pre-schools. Inclusive pre-schools are defined as those that are open to public enrolment and whose fees are in line with recommended levels set by the relevant city-level government, and cost-sharing arrangements will be established over the next two years to support these schools. There is a particular focus on poor and rural areas where a comparatively low proportion of children currently enter pre-school.

Teacher training is an important part of the Opinions, with plans to graduate 200,000 teachers with degrees or diplomas in pre-school education, create systems for professional development, and provide training for 1.5 million teachers and kindergarten heads by 2020. The latter proportion is equivalent to around 62 per cent of current full-time pre-school teachers.

Another major issue is regulation and supervision. The Opinions call for local governments to crack down on unlicensed kindergartens, to conduct quality supervision to ensure standards for teaching and for management, to ensure that all pre-schools meet safety standards, and to prevent pre-schools from issuing misleading information. They also repeat criticism of the "primaryisation" of pre-school education and emphasise that primary school education should "start from zero" and not rely on any previous teaching.

The policy also sets a new direction on private investment in pre-school education. It bans private kindergartens from selling shares to the public, while listed companies may not purchase shares of these kindergartens and are also banned from buying their assets either with stock or in cash. Activities such as mergers and acquisitions, franchising and chain operations will be subject to "strict review" from the relevant local education department. The Opinions say that "excessive profit-seeking behaviour" at for-profit pre-schools should be curbed and emphasise the requirement that the majority of fees charged by privately-run kindergartens must be spent on the school's operating expenses.

Analysis by Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst, British Council International Education Services

Alongside goals to raise quality and expand enrolment, this announcement represents a shift towards greater public involvement in pre-school education. In broad terms this announcement represents a commitment to enhancing pre-school education in China and especially to improving education opportunities for less wealthy families and those in rural and less developed parts of the country.

However, the shift in focus towards more affordable schools is unlikely to directly benefit UK institutions as most overseas involvement in the pre-school sector is at the high end of the market. Although the Opinions also promised significant involvement in pre-school teacher training, the potential for overseas institutions to be involved in this is still unclear at this stage.

The tightening restrictions on for-profit pre-schools are in line with trends in other recent announcements, including draft regulations on private education that were announced for discussion in August and would close loopholes surrounding foreign control of institutions providing compulsory education and restrict group-based control of non-profit schools.

Sources

1. Global Times - China to provide more children with affordable preschool education: http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1127610.shtml

2. Caixin Global - Private Kindergartens Barred From Selling Shares: https://www.caixinglobal.com/2018-11-16/private-kindergartens-barred-from-selling-shares-101347730.html

3. Communist Party Central Committee / State Council - Several Opinions on Deepening the Reform and Standardization of Pre-school Education (in Chinese): http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2018-11/15/c_1123720031.htm

4. British Council International Education Services - Draft Chinese regulations for private schools would forbid foreign control of schools offering compulsory education and prevent group-based control of non-profit schools: https://education-services.britishcouncil.org/news/market-news/draft-chinese-regulations-private-schools-would-forbid-foreign-control-of-schools