China Cuts Pre-School Tuition Fees to Tackle Declining Birth Rate

China has announced that it will waive tuition fees for children in their final year at public kindergartens starting next term. Eligible private kindergartens will also receive fee reductions under the new government initiative. This move marks the beginning of a phased plan to provide free pre-school education across the country. The policy, announced by the State Council on Tuesday, is part of broader efforts to address China’s declining birth rate and support families.

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The government said it will provide financial subsidies to kindergartens to cover the cost of lost tuition revenue. Local governments have been instructed to improve funding oversight and ensure schools can operate normally. In addition, teacher salaries in public kindergartens will be protected under fiscal guarantees, with mandates to ensure they are paid in full and on time. The policy aims to ease the financial burden on parents and make early education more accessible nationwide.

This new tuition policy follows last week's announcement of childcare subsidies for children under three, another effort to ease the cost of raising a family. China is grappling with a rapidly declining population, which has now fallen for three consecutive years. Analysts warn the demographic outlook could deteriorate further, due to lingering effects of the decades-long one-child policy and rising living costs in urban areas.

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High expenses related to childcare and education, along with growing job insecurity and housing pressures, have discouraged many young Chinese from marrying or having children. These new policies aim to reverse that trend by reducing the financial obstacles to parenthood. However, experts caution that broader social reforms will be needed to change public attitudes and restore confidence in starting families. The tuition relief is seen as a step forward, but whether it will significantly impact birth rates remains to be seen.