Abstract:

The diversity of after-school service types, the diversity of supply objects, and the ambiguity of product attribute cognition have led to a lack of effective guarantee for funding supply under the pursuit of the goal of “full coverage and high quality”. After-school services have multiple attributes: basic services and compensatory services have the characteristics of local pure public products, and personalized services belong to local quasi-public products. At present, the funding supply of after-school services mainly includes the government package model, the parent-responsible model, and the government-responsible model. The latter two are the mainstream, which are different manifestations of the cost-sharing model. The complexity of service objects, the diversity of service types, and the differences in local fiscal strength determine that funding should be provided in a differentiated manner. Basic services and “compensatory” services should be free for all to the greatest extent possible, and personalized services should follow the principle of “who needs, who pays” based on government subsidies. A multi-party shared funding supply model of “government guarantee, limited payment by parents, and social support” can be established.

Key words: after-school service, local quasi-public goods, cost-sharing, differentiation