The reform of private education in China has entered the deep-water zone and faces great challenges. Classified management is the key to breaking the bottleneck. What kind of value orientation to adhere to is the chief issue for the classification management of private education. Private education in nature is public benefiting

which is also clearly positioned in China’s education legislation. The classification management of private education should adhere to its public benefit orientation

and provide the same protection and supervision for both for-profit and non-profit private schools. But the basic legal principle of equal rights and obligations determines that different support measures would be taken for the two. The development of China’s private education is insufficient

unbalanced and irregular

and there is a serious tendency of weakening public benefit. The legal construction for private education should strengthen its public benefit orientation

optimize its classification registration system

refine its classification management system

and promote its healthy development through system innovation.