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)
According to UIS data, in 2023, the official starting age for pre-primary education was 4 years old. The Education Development Strategy 2025- 2027 puts the starting age for pre-primary at 3 years 7 months. In 2023, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary education across both sexes was 52.51%.
Governance
According to the General Education Law of 2017, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) is responsible for financing, allocating, and overseeing budgets for pre-primary education. Articles (4) and (7) assign the MoEHE authority to establish, license, and regulate pre-primary education and to expand services toward free and compulsory early childhood education.
Public education is supported by the Education Tax. The General Education Law (2017), reinstated the Education Tax, which had been in effect under previous administrations. Under the law, building inhabitants (whether tenant or landlord) are taxed an unspecified percentage of the property rental value. The tax is managed by the Council of Ministers for the purpose of education.
Tuition-free status
The first year of pre-primary (KG1 – “Bustan”) is not mandatory but the second year (KG2 – “Tamheedi”) is both compulsory and free. This is part of the government’s strategy to gradually move toward compulsory pre-primary education, as stated in the General Education Law (2017).
1. Education resources to subnational governments
According to the General Education Law (2017), funding for pre-primary education is centralised under the MoEHE. However, schools in East Jerusalem are funded through separate mechanisms than the rest of the Palestinian Territories. Funding for Awqaf schools is jointly provided by the MoEHE, Jordanian Waqf (endowment), and other donors. The MoEHE is responsible for paying salaries and providing textbooks. These resources were previously directed through the Jerusalem Directorate of Education, which has been partially shuttered by Israel. Other schools serving Palestinians in East Jerusalem are funded and managed by the Israeli Ministry of Education, private organisations, and, formerly, UNWRA.
2. Education resources to institutions
The government uses a programme-based budget approach divided into 1) an operational budget, which covers ongoing and capital expenditures; and 2) a developmental budget, used for limited projects such as constructing new schools and special staff training. Over 2017-2023, 95% of actual education expenditure was spent on operational costs while 5% was spent on development. Preschool education accounted for 2% of education expenditures during the same period. To date, the government has focused on opening KG2 classrooms, and KG1 remains primarily provided by the private sector.
The General Education Law (2017) does not establish any equity-targeted subsidies allocated to public pre-primary institutions from the central government. However, the Education Development Strategy 2025-2027 commits to providing 50 assistive devices to facilitate inclusive education at the preschool level. The government also aims to support children affected by violence by providing psychological support to 5,000 kindergarten students, security measures in 50 preschools, 10 temporary field preschools in the Gaza strip, and reconstruction for 50% of damaged preschools in Gaza and 100% of schools in the West Bank. For students in the occupied East Jerusalem, the MoEHE aims to establish 2 kindergarten classrooms per year. At the time of writing, no budgetary allocations dedicated to fulfilling these commitments were identified.
The Ministry of Education has also launched a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative aimed at expanding access to early childhood education, with a particular focus on areas with low enrollment rates. Through this initiative, the Ministry collaborates with 17 private kindergartens in several governorates, including Hebron and Nablus, to improve service coverage and quality.
3. Education resources to students and families
There are no financial support mechanisms for pre-primary education in the form of subsidies, vouchers, or grants. However, under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative, the Ministry of Education announced that for the 2023–2024 academic year, enrollment in the preparatory level of selected registered private kindergartens would be free of charge, particularly in marginalised areas. This initiative seeks to reduce financial barriers for families and expand access to early childhood education in underserved regions.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
There are no social policies from the Ministry of Social Development specifically targeting students and families of pre-primary education or aimed at improving access to early childhood education. However, the Ministry implements broad cash transfer programmes that provide financial assistance to poor and vulnerable households. These include the Cash Transfer Programme, which delivers regular financial support to families in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as emergency cash assistance. While these programmes aim to alleviate poverty and support vulnerable groups, they are not linked to pre-primary education access.
This profile was reviewed by Alaa Ali Aladini, Assistant Professor of TEFL at Dhofar University.
