It took the view that "insufficient measures had been taken to provide assistance in respect of high school fees, or to otherwise widen the access to the benefit they provided".

BBC: Schools graphic

"I'm a big advocate of low fees, and the new regulations have caused an extra layer of fees, " says Richard Nichols, a high-school teacher in suburban Chicago.

WSJ: Teachers' 403(b) Plans See Big Changes

From this year, said Mr Wen, schools would no longer charge tuition or other fees for children having their compulsory education (up to the end of junior high school).

ECONOMIST: Governing China

Peter Tufano of Harvard Business School and Matthew Sevick, a consultant, offer another explanation for why mutual-fund fees are high (though not for why they should be rising).

ECONOMIST: Mutual funds