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MONDAY, JUNE 25, 1979
SERVICES FOR CARE AND EDUCATION OF
PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN ******
THE GOVERNMENT IS REVIEWING THE SERVICES FOR THE CARE AND EDUCATION OF PRE-PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN AGED UNDER SIX AND EXPECTS TO PUBLISH A GREEN PAPER ON ITS PROPOSALS FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS LATER THIS YEAR.
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS. ANSON CHAN, SAID THIS TODAY (MONDAY) WHILE DISCUSSING THE SERVICES OF CHILD CARE CENTRES AND KINDERGARTENS IN HER ADDRESS TO A JOINT MEETING OF THE Y'S MEN'S CLUBS OF VICTORIA AND HONG KONG.
MRS. CHAN SAID EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN, AGED TWO TO FIVE YEARS, SHOULD NOT BE A FORMALISED LEARNING PROCESS BENT ON ACADEMIC ATTAINMENT.
SHE POINTED OUT THERE WAS INCREASING SUPPORT FOR EARLY EDUCATION TO BE MORE PLAY-ORIENTATED SO THAT THE CHILD COULD LEARN AND DEVELOP AT HIS OWN PACE THROUGH ACTIVITIES HE CARRIED OUT HIMSELF.
THIS WAS BORNE OUT, SHE SAID, IN A SAMPLE SURVEY CONDUCTED LAST YEAR OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN BELOW PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE, IN WHICH PARENTS GAVE LOW PRIORITY TO FORMAL TEACHING IN KINDERGARTENS.
MRS. CHAN SAID BOTH CHILD CARE CENTRES AND KINDERGARTENS SERVE A COMMON POPULATION IN THE 3-5 YEARS AGE RANGE AND MEET SIMILAR OBJECTIVES.
THE 1976 BY-CENSUS MEDIUM POPULATION PROJECTIONS INDICATE THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN THE 2-5 AGE RANGE WILL RISE FROM 319,000 IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR TO 380,000 BY SEPTEMBER 1990, SHE SAID.
ABOUT 45 PER CENT OF CHILDREN AGED THREE, AND NEARLY 90 PER CENT OF THOSE AGED FOUR AND FIVE ARE ENROLLED IN KINDERGARTENS, WITH THE TOTAL ENROLMENT IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR BEING AROUND 180,000, COMPARED WITH AN ENROLMENT OF ABOUT 13,000 IN CHILD CARE CENTRES.
MRS. CHAN SAID THAT IN KINDERGARTENS, MOST OF WHICH WERE PRIVATE PROF IT-MAKING INSTITUTIONS, THERE WAS A TENDENCY TO OVER-STRETCH THE USE OF RESOURCES AND FACILITIES IN A WAY WHICH WAS NOT ALWAYS IN THE INTERESTS OF THE PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN ATTENDING THESE INSTITUTIONS.
KINDERGARTENS, SHE SAID, ARE SUBJECT TO MUCH LESS REGULATION THAN CHILD CARE CENTRES. THE LATTER WERE GENERALLY DEVELOPING ALONG SOUND LINES WITH THE ENACTMENT OF THE CHILD CARE CENTRES ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS IN 1976.
SHE SAID KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS WERE OFTEN UNTRAINED, AND AT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM WAS THE MOTIVATION AND PHILOSOPHY OF KINDERGARTEN OPERATORS AND THE PEOPLE WHO USED THEM.
/+IN HONG KONG,