D2
subsequent educational and social progress.
It is aware also
that the need for such education in Hong Kong is greater than
in many other parts of the world because of the later age of
entry to primary education (at age 6 rather than age 5) and
because of the relatively crowded home conditions of a large
section of the population. There is also a growing public
demand within Hong Kong for pre-primary education. Despite
these considerations the government has hitherto not provided
pre-primary education within the public sector because it has
felt that the development of other levels of education ought
to be given a higher priority for the time being. It has
therefore so far limited its involvement to providing specific
forms of indirect assistance. Educational facilities at the
pre-primary level are also available in institutions registered
under the Child Care Centres Ordinance, though the prime purpose
of such institutions is to provide day care for children. Some
of these institutions are subvented by the Social Welfare
Department to provide subsidised day care for children from low-
income families who for economic or social reasons are unable to
care adequately for their children at home.
(ii) The overall objective of the programme is to achieve an expansion
of pre-primary education in accordance with demand, at a price
that people can afford and offering a suitable range of
facilities and programmes. The initial area for development will
be the private non-profit-making sector but the desirability of
launching a development programme within the government and aided
sector will be reviewed from time to time.
(iii) The specific objectives arẻ:
(a) to assist the development of pre-primary education through