National Committee Member Peng Jing suggests: Implement a "three-step" approach to promote free senior secondary education

The Client of China Youth Daily, Beijing, March 4 (China Youth Daily · China Youth Network Reporter Liu Yan) “Steadily expanding the scope of free education and exploring the extension of compulsory education” is an important deployment outlined in the “14th Five-Year Plan” recommendations. Peng Jing, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and director of Chongqing Jingsheng Law Firm, told China Youth Daily · China Youth Network that she suggests establishing a mechanism to promote free high school education, implementing it in “three steps”: starting with students in difficulty, gradually expanding to all rural registered students, until achieving free education for all urban and rural students.

The General Office of the State Council issued the “Opinions on Gradually Implementing Free Preschool Education” in 2025, starting from the fall semester of 2025, exempting public kindergartens from preschool year childcare and education fees. Peng Jing stated that the current scope of free education needs to be expanded; childcare for ages 0-3 and small classes for preschoolers have not yet been included. Meanwhile, the pathway to extend the duration of compulsory education remains unclear. The “upward extension” to high school and the “downward extension” to preschool have not yet formed a clear consensus, and financial support for reform guarantees also needs strengthening.

Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Peng Jing. Photo by Hu Ning / China Youth Daily · China Youth Network

Therefore, Peng Jing recommends a phased expansion, advancing free education coverage step by step. Building on the current policies ensuring free large classes in public kindergartens and inclusive private kindergartens, regions with conditions should pilot expanding the free scope to cover the first two years of preschool, accumulating experience before gradually expanding further. Additionally, a mechanism for promoting free high school education should be established, advancing in “three steps”: first, prioritizing exemption of tuition for rural low-income families, those under special hardship support, students with disabilities, and multi-child families; second, gradually expanding to all rural registered students; third, achieving free education for all urban and rural students. Regions that are not yet able to fully implement free education can first exempt tuition and textbook fees, with service charges capped at maximum prices.

Peng Jing also suggests establishing an incentive mechanism linking “funding subsidies with school quality.” For private high schools with outstanding quality, the government can purchase seats to include them in the free education scope.

To strengthen the safeguards for related reforms, Peng Jing believes that the revision of the “Compulsory Education Law” should be initiated in a timely manner to clarify the legal framework for expanding free education and extending its duration in the future. This includes standardizing responsibilities of all levels of government, funding sharing, free programs, quality standards, and compensation mechanisms for private institutions. A long-term funding guarantee mechanism should be built with “central coordination, provincial main responsibility, and city and county implementation.” The additional funding for free education should be fully incorporated into budgets at all levels, and a stable growth mechanism linked to GDP and fiscal revenue should be established. The central government should provide differentiated subsidies, with a focus on the central and western regions and rural areas.

(Edited by Wen Jing)

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