A Study on Enrollment Conditions and Cost Sharing of Kindergartens in Shanghai: Focus on Non-Local Permanent Residents

Abstract

This study analyzes and discusses policies concerning enrollment conditions and cost-sharing in kindergartens across the 16 districts of Shanghai, focusing on ensuring enrollment opportunities for children of non-local permanent residents. The findings reveal two key points: First, only affluent non-local families can afford to send their children to public kindergartens, while others are forced to rely on non-profit private kindergartens. Moreover, financial support for these private kindergartens is insufficient, compared to the support available to public schools, which results in a greater financial burden on parents. Second, as each district is primarily responsible for the cost-sharing of pre-school education, disparities in fiscal spending across districts are evident. These disparities highlight the inadequacy of current policies to ensure equal enrollment opportunities for all children. From the perspective of guaranteeing enrollment opportunities for children of non-local permanent residents, the policies regarding kindergarten enrollment conditions and cost-sharing in Shanghai expose inequalities between public and (non-profit) private kindergartens, as well as among districts, which ultimately fail to ensure equal access for all children.