Preschool Education Should Be Included in Compulsory Schooling in China

Research background: Preschool education should include compulsory education, which has become a topic of concern for all sectors of society. Nowadays, social attention to preschool education is not high, and national expenditure on preschool education is low. At an international level, China's economic investment in preschool education is less than 0.1% of GDP with 0.06%, well below the OECD average with 0.5%. However, the significance of incorporating preschool education into compulsory education cannot be underestimated in China. This paper will explore the need to integrate preschool education into compulsory education in China from three perspectives. First, investing in preschool can yield a return on investment of more than the cost. Second, preschool education has promoted personal development, especially individual academic achievement in primary school. Third, preschool education has improved social development, especially reducing the crime rate.