Guangzhou exempts kindergarten fees for select age groups

Childcare and education fees for children in specific age groups will be exempted starting from the fall semester of this year in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, according to local education authorities.

While answering questions about the gradual rollout of the free preschool education policy on Tuesday, the city's education bureau said the exemption applies to all eligible children in the senior class of kindergartens, including both public and private, as well as urban and rural kindergartens.

The fee policy for the junior and middle classes in the city's kindergartens will continue to be enforced in accordance with relevant regulations, the authorities said.

For eligible children attending private kindergartens approved by the education department, childcare and education fees will be reduced accordingly, based on the exemption levels of similar public kindergartens in the city.

Private kindergartens may continue charging families the portion of childcare and education fees that exceed the exemption level, in accordance with regulations, the authorities said.

The current standard fee for public full-time regular kindergartens in Guangzhou is 823 yuan ($115.9) per student per month, while the cost for demonstration kindergartens is 995 yuan per student per month.

For public boarding kindergartens in the city, the childcare and education fee is 30 percent higher than the full-time fee standard.