Zhang Shuqin, a deputy to the National People's Congress and secretary of the general party branch of Beicheng Primary School in Linyi, Shandong Province, was heartened when he heard the government work report that "free preschool education should be gradually promoted". As a "veteran representative" who has been re elected for four terms, Zhang Shuqin has witnessed the process of China's preschool education from "universal" to "universal" and then to "gradually becoming free". "In 2008, when I was elected as a deputy to the 11th National People's Congress, I received a lot of feedback that it was difficult and expensive to enter the park." Zhang Shuqin began extensive research. In the 2010 National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, she submitted a proposal to the conference on formulating a law on preschool education. In 2010, the "National Medium - and Long Term Education Reform and Development Plan Outline (2010-2020)" was released, which first clarified the development goal of "basically popularizing preschool education"; In the same year, the State Council issued the "Several Opinions on the Current Development of Preschool Education", officially proposing the concept of "universality"; In 2018, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the "Several Opinions on Deepening Reform and Standardizing Development of Preschool Education", proposing the goal of "achieving a coverage rate of 80% for inclusive kindergartens"; In 2020, the "Supervision and Evaluation Measures for the Popularization and Inclusion of Preschool Education in County Areas" were introduced, and "popularization and inclusion" became a "hard indicator" for government assessment. The country has basically solved the problem of "difficulty in entering kindergarten" by implementing four three-year action plans for preschool education. Under the guidance of policies, every step of preschool education has been taken solidly and orderly. In November 2024, the Early Childhood Education Law was officially passed, which solidified the goal of "vigorously developing inclusive early childhood education" in the form of legal provisions, and proposed "gradually promoting the implementation of free early childhood education in places where conditions permit". Moving towards the gradual implementation of free preschool education is a new major institutional arrangement made by the country for the development of preschool education. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee have made special arrangements to strengthen the inclusive development of preschool education and improve the guarantee mechanism for preschool education. The "Outline of the Plan for Building a Strong Education Country (2024-2035)" issued this year for the first time includes "exploring gradually expanding the scope of free education" in the national education development strategy. Tuo Qingming, a deputy to the National People's Congress, president of Sichuan Ya'an Education Examination Institute, and principal of Ya'an Yucheng No. 2 Middle School, said, "Under the new situation of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way, the gradual implementation of free preschool education will lay a more solid talent foundation for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." There is no doubt that "free" is a reduction of the burden of the people and an addition of the responsibility of the state and the government. Firstly, we must adhere to coordinated implementation and pilot projects first. The second is to increase investment and strengthen guarantees. The third is to ensure that the entry point is practical and feasible, and to start smoothly. For example, we can start exploring with 'free for one year', 'free for special disadvantaged groups', or specific projects such as free meals and education fees to reduce the difficulty of policy implementation Zhang Zhiyong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and director of the Education National Survey Center of Beijing Normal University, said. During the exchange, the representative committee members reached a consensus amidst joy: the road to "free" is still not the end today. The move towards' free 'preschool education further strengthens its public service attributes and is an important symbol of the new stage of high-quality development of preschool education. In the future, we need to increase financial investment in preschool education, increase the proportion of fiscal funds for preschool education in the national fiscal education funds, and strengthen the construction of the preschool education teacher team Zhang Zhiyong said. To promote scientific management in kindergartens, to enhance the competence and quality of the teaching staff, to advance scientific childcare... In short, there is still much to be done Zhang Shuqin said. (New Society)