An Analytical Study of Family Investment in Education at the Pre-school Level in China - A Comparative Analysis Based on Eastern, Central and Western China

Abstract

Since the publication of China's National Medium- and Long-Term Education Reform and Development Plan in 2010 and the active development of preschool education, the development of preschool education has gradually received attention from all sectors and the positive effects of the expansion of preschool education in China are evident. However, as the national household share of preschool education still falls short of international standards, the issue of education consumption by households affected by their individual economic development in the expansion of preschool education cannot be ignored. This paper examines the relationship between factors such as household socio-economic income and cultural background and education expenditure of preschool children's families, based on a regression analysis of macro data from the provincial statistical bureaus of the three provinces and micro data from the China Household Tracking Survey in 2018, from the perspective of combining macro and micro data in Guangdong, Henan and Gansu provinces selected in the eastern, central and western regions of China respectively. The study found that for the families themselves, the higher the economic level, the higher the expenditure on preschool education. Also, the higher the level of education of the mother, the higher the expenditure on preschool education. For different regions, the more economically developed the region, the more parents are willing to spend more on their children's pre-school education.