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)
The official entrance age to pre-primary education is four. Free pre-primary education is not granted in legal frameworks. Two years of compulsory pre-primary education are provided. The net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexes was 41.61 in 2024.
Governance
According to 2024 Ministry of Education data, there were 107 established Early Childhood Education (ECE) schools nationally, of which 46 were government schools, and 61 were non-government schools.
The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) is the central government agency responsible for allocating and overseeing pre-primary education funding, as provided for in Article 107 of the 2020 Education Act.
Tuition-free status
Free pre-primary education is not granted in legal frameworks
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Tonga is a constitutional monarchy comprised of a national and local government. Tonga’s national budget allocates resources directly to ECE institutions.
2. Education resources to institutions
The national budget includes an allocation for ECE under the general education allocation. The funds are transferred directly from the Ministry of Finance to institutions. The government provides licensed ECE providers with per-child grants on an annual basis to assist in operational costs, which are subject to certain conditions. Government support is provided for the establishment of new ECE centres in areas without provision, and where the proposed service aims to improve access for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.
3. Education resources to students and families
ECE schools are provided with per-child grants to reduce the financial burden of attendance on families. No information was found on direct support for students and families.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
No information was found on government-funded programmes to provide resources to children and their families at the pre-primary level.
