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 3 years old since 2013. In 2023, the number of years of free pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks and the number of years of compulsory pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks were 2. For 2022, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexeswas 72.93%.
Governance
Oversight of pre-primary education falls under the Ministry of Education, specifically the Subsecretaría de Educación Parvularia (Undersecretariat of Kindergarten Education). This body is responsible for designing, coordinating, and managing public policies and educational programs for children from birth to six years old. Public provision of early childhood education is mainly delivered through the National Board of Kindergartens (JUNJI) and the Integra Foundation, alongside other authorised public and private providers operating under national regulations and quality standards.
Since 2008, Chile has progressively expanded access to early childhood education, increasing the provision of free pre-primary education from one year to two. In 2013, legislation established the second level of transition (kínder) as compulsory, making one year of pre-primary education mandatory prior to entry into primary school. Earlier levels of early childhood education, including nursery and middle levels, are provided free of charge in public institutions but are not compulsory under Chilean law.
Tuition-free status
Pre-primary education is tuition-free, according to laws and policies.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
In Chile, the financing system is market-oriented, from a “demand and supply” perspective, in which the State provides resources directly to educational institutions through subsidies.
2. Education resources to institutions
State Funding Mechanisms
Chile’s education system allocates resources through two main mechanisms: demand subsidies and supply subsidies. Demand subsidies allocate funds to schools based on student enrolment or attendance, using moving average attendance for calculations. Supply subsidies, by contrast, are determined by school characteristics, including infrastructure needs, staff numbers, and student demographics.
The current financing system divides state-allocated resources into four classifications. Student-Based Subsidies, which constitute 81% of the total, follow a demand logic and include the general student subsidy (adjusted by level, modality, geographic location, and type of education), special subsidies such as the Pro-Retention Educational Subsidy or the Educational Reinforcement Grant, and the preferential school subsidy aimed at schools with high concentrations of socioeconomically vulnerable students. Compliance with Agreement D.L. 3.166/80 (1%) involves offer-based resources for schools with delegated administration, reflecting the characteristics of both the institution and its students. Allocations to Other Public Entities (11%) and Other Direct Contributions (7%) are supply-side resources intended to enhance salaries or fund schools directly based on institutional characteristics rather than attendance figures.
Subvención Escolar Preferencial
The Subvención Escolar Preferencial promotes equity and quality by providing additional resources for each priority student to schools that voluntarily participate. Eligible educational establishments include state-funded municipal or subsidised private schools offering regular daytime education from prekindergarten to 4th grade. Participation requires signing an Equal Opportunity and Educational Excellence Agreement, committing the school to a series of obligations. These include maintaining established benefits for priority students and developing an Educational Improvement Plan with input from the principal and school community. The plan focuses on improving learning outcomes through targeted actions in curriculum management, leadership, coexistence, and resource management.
3. Education resources to students and families
Access to pre-primary education is guaranteed by law and provided free of charge. The Ministry of Education (Mineduc) may legally grant a compensatory bonus in specific circumstances, such as when a child cannot attend nursery due to a medical prescription, when the workplace is located far from urban centres lacking nursery facilities, or when a worker’s schedule is incompatible with nursery hours.
Programmes aimed at promoting equity are typically implemented directly within educational institutions rather than being delivered through families.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Chile Crece Más (formerly Chile Crece Contigo) is part of the Social Protection System, administered, coordinated, supervised, and evaluated by the Ministry of Social Development. Regulated by Law No. 20,379 of 2009 from the Ministry of Planning, the programme aims to guarantee and protect the rights of children and adolescents through coordinated efforts of the State, society, and families. Among its benefits, the programme provides free access to extended-day kindergarten, through the National Board of Kindergartens (JUNJI) or Integra, for children whose parents or caregivers are working, studying, or seeking employment and who belong to households in the lowest 60% of the national population by income. It also ensures free access to part-time kindergarten for children whose parents or caregivers do not work outside the home.
Additionally, the Ministry of Social Development and Family delivers a Technical Aid Programme for children with disabilities who are beneficiaries of Chile Crece Más, implemented through the National Rehabilitation Institute Pedro Aguirre Cerda (INRPAC) and the Inclusive Rooms Modality.
This profile was reviewed by Diana Vásquez Orjuela, from the Academic, University of Talca.
