Free early childhood education policies in Greater China

Abstract

With increasing awareness of the far-fetched impacts of early childhood education (ECE) at individual and societal levels, educators, parents and policy-makers around the world are keen to provide quality education to young children. In Greater China, much attention has been rested upon the inclusion of ECE in the government-funded free education framework alongside primary and secondary education. This initiative has brought about heated debates regarding the accessibility, affordability, accountability and sustainability (3A1S) of ECE policies. Six Chinese regions, namely, Hong Kong, Macau, and four counties in Mainland China, were chosen for this multiple case study as they have devoted considerable efforts to offer free ECE in different manners. Mixed-methods approach was employed and online content analyses were conducted to examine the 3A1S of the free ECE policies implemented in these Chinese societies. Results indicated that the free ECE policies launched in regions such as Macau were applicable to all children, whereas those of other regions were neither 'all fees free' nor 'all kids free'. In particular, the sustainability of free ECE is a noticeable problem. This paper attempts to offer an overview of the progress of implementing free ECE in Greater China and the problems and difficulties encountered. Implications will also be discussed to inform future implementation strategies and research.