Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
In Bhutan, the official entrance age to pre-primary education is three years old. The net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexes was last measured in 2020 at 30.86%.
Governance
The Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) is responsible for funding and overseeing Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD). The country’s education budgets are aligned with the country’s Five-Year Development Plans (FYPs). The Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2018–2023) decentralized education budgeting, granting local governments authority to oversee basic education delivery in districts (dzongkhags) and municipalities (thromdes) in consultation with the central government.
In Bhutan, ECCD is comprised of two age groups: Children ages 0-36 months (0-3 years) and children aged 36-71 months (3-6 years). Pre-primary starts at 72 months (6 years) and is part of the 11 years of free basic education in Bhutan. Pre-primary is a part of primary schools. ECCD centers are primarily operated by the state. As of March 2026, pre-primary admission will allow children who are 5 years old to attend.
Tuition-free status
Public community-based ECEC do not charge fees- but they accept monetary contributions from parents or voluntary ones.
Additionally, Pre-primary is part of free basic education in Bhutan. As of March 2026, pre-primary in primary schools will allow children who are 5 years old to attend.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) administers central funds to improve education quality nationally, addressing four key strategies: transforming curricula and programmes, developing the educational workforce, building fit-for-purpose infrastructure, and enhancing education governance. Additional resources are allocated to local governments through the Resource Allocation Framework (RAF).
The RAF allocates resources to local governments based on several factors, including poverty index, resident population, geographic area, transportation costs from the nearest motorable road-head, health, education, safety, environment, and the Gross National Happiness (GNH) Index. Annual Grants Guidelines state that funds must be spent in accordance with the FYP’s seven Local Government Key Result Areas (LGKRAs), the second of which is “quality education and skills development”.
The annual education budget for local governments is distributed monthly through the MoF’s central financial database. District-level expenditure reports suggest that districts cover most of the operational costs for ECCD centres.
2. Education resources to institutions
Before 2011, Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) was solely available through private providers. The government has since shifted focus to state-funded community-based centers. The 2025 National Education Policy calls for the establishment of new ECCD centers in underserved areas on a need basis. This is building on previous projects, which have been building community-based ECCD centres in rural communities since 2010. ECCD programmes are also asked to adopt inclusive education practices and give training to educators and staff for this purpose.
Funds for community-based ECCD come from the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB), and external donors such as UNICEF and Save the Children. External donors help to support the establishment of centres and the supply and development of learning materials, tools, resources, and professional development. Recurrent expenses such as salaries and operational costs are covered by the RGoB. Establishment costs are provided at the national-level Recent projects, such as the development of mobile ECCD centres and their recurrent costs, are funded entirely by the RGoB.
3. Education resources to students and families
Public community-based ECCD centres do not charge fees. However, most of them accept voluntary monetary contributions from parents. Parents are also expected to contribute to ECCD centres by volunteering or providing material contributions if they are unable to volunteer their time. No other financial support mechanisms for pre-primary education were found.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
No information was found.
