Abstract: Since 2001, the policy of “two exemptions and one subsidy” has gone through three phasespilot phase, all-round extension phase and improvement phase, which not only reflects the political appeal of socialist education equality and the demand for economic development, but also is the result of education development. The policy speeds up popularizing free compulsory education in rural areas, and has a profound significance for reducing the poverty in the central and western areas of China, enriching human resources, promoting the economic development in the central and western areas and achieving economic and social sustainable development. Also, in the view of educational anthropology, the policy greatly influences students, parents and teachers. In the past 15 years, the policy has been so influential and powerful that it is successful. From the policy we can learnfirstly, as regards the path, it follows the route “from rural poverty-stricken counties to rural areas and to urban areas”, extending the coverage respectively; for the content and standard of subsidization, it also extends gradually to make the financial aid plans well-ordered, the fund program feasible and effective, and thus it is the most economical. Secondly, its design is from top to bottom, that is, central government departments concerned, local people’s governments at different levels and educators coordinate and cooperate to make great-leap-forward development of China’s education, which not only presents the distinctive feature of China’s education development in rural areas in the early 21^st century, but also opens up the road of China’s education. For this, we should be proud of the policy. Thirdly, the policy aims to give priority to the problems the public are most concerned about and the most immediate and realistic problems, to solve one thing after another, year after year, and to go forward with perseverance. And this has a guiding significance for us to make policies.

Key words: two exemptions and one subsidy, governments, rural poverty-stricken counties, poor students