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Secretary for Education and Manpower Arthur Li yesterday announced the extension of education voucher scheme to parents whose children have registered for profit-making kindergartens for the year 2006-07 and 2007-08.

The amendments was announced by Li after lobby groups had demanded over the past months that the voucher scheme should cover all students irrespective of which kindergartens they were studying in.

In his policy address last month Chief Executive Donald Tsang announced the introduction of education voucher scheme in order to improve quality of education and to ease parents' burden. But the government then said that scheme would cover only the non-profit making kindergartens.

Following yesterday's announcement, principals of profit-making kindergartens not covered by the scheme, who earlier expressed fear that they would not be able to attract parents, welcomed the amendment, but added that the fear of closure still exists.

Li said that students entering private, or profit-making kindergartens this year, and those who had applied to study in these kindergartens in 2007 would be covered by the scheme until their graduation.

A voucher of HK$13,000 would be given, of which at least HK$10,000 should be used for fees subsidy and the remaining for teachers' training. But students entering these kindergartens in 2008 would no longer be benefited.

Li said these kindergartens should charge no more than HK$24,000 tuition fees for half-day schooling, and HK$48,000 for whole-day schooling a year. They should also open their accounts book to parents.

"If the kindergartens open their books, we will subsidize them. If they do not, it seems that they are hiding something. Parents have the right to know the kindergartens' finance," he said.

Parents' burden considered

Li, however, made it clear that the government was not bowing to pressure of kindergartens, but said the decision was taken in view of parents and students interests.

"Some students have already entered these kindergartens before we announced the introduction of the voucher scheme. The parents are wondering what to do and whether to change kindergartens. It would be unfair to them," Li said. "We are not making a compromise. We are looking into parents' needs."

Li said private kindergartens would be given HK$30,000 subsidy if they decide to turn into non-profit making school. The bureau, however, did not say how many private kindergartens would change to non-profit making, but added that 150 of them had met the changing criteria.

Li, however, added that public fund should not be used to subsidize profit-making body.

Meanwhile, private kindergartens representatives argued that they should also be benefited.

Private Independent Early Education Association convenor Thomas Ho said it was appropriate for the government to amend the scheme.

He, however, added that all students should be given subsidy in the future. He said the amendment could lessen the immediate impact on the private kindergartens, but he did not rule out the possibility of closure of schools.

Another kindergarten principal Teresa Wu shared Ho's view, saying they would be losing students in the next few years.

"The amendment is only a transitional arrangement. The senior students may still stay in the kindergartens until their graduation. But the junior students and those in nursery class may go to kindergartens covered by the scheme after 2008. We will still be forced to close," she said.

"Some parents also feared that the private kindergartens may be reluctant to spend money to improve facilities and quality," she said.

A parent whose children is studying in these kindergartens welcomed the amendment, saying it would ease her burden.