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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1989
COST OF PROVIDING KINDERGARTEN FEE ASSISTANCE
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то
THE ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE COST OF PROVIDING FEE ASSISTANCE NEEDY KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN IS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT $2.64 MILLION IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR.
THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON RON BRIDGE, GAVE THIS FIGURE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON RITA FAN.
MR BRIDGE SAID THAT OF THIS SUM APPROXIMATELY $1 MILLION WAS INCURRED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND $1.64 MILLION BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.
ON THE MAXIMUM FEE ASSISTANCE LEVELS FOR HALF DAY AND WHOLE DAY KINDERGARTENS, HE EXPLAINED THAT THEY WERE INTENDED TO COVER 100 PER CENT OF THE WEIGHTED AVERAGE FEES
NON-PROFIT-MAKING KINDERGARTENS.
BASED
FOR
"THE LEVELS ARE SET EACH YEAR
ON THE ACTUAL WEIGHTED AVERAGE FEES IN THAT YEAR PLUS THE PROJECTED INCREASE IN THE AVERAGE FEES IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR.
"THE PROJECTED FEE LEVELS FOR 1988-89 ARE $209 AND $370 FOR HALF DAY AND WHOLE DAY KINDERGARTENS RESPECTIVELY, 中山 HE SAID.
PROJECTED FIGURES WERE USED SINCE FER ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS HAD TO BE PROCESSED WELL BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, HE NOTED.
MR BRIDGE SAID FERS IN PROFIT-MAKING KINDERGARTENS WERE GENERALLY HIGHER THAN THOSE IN NON-PROFIT-MAKING ONES.
"IN 1988-89, THE AVERAGE IS $252 PER MONTH (HALF DAY) AND $559 PER MONTH (WHOLE DAY), HE SAID.
"THE MAXIMUM FEE ASSISTANCE LEVELS THEREFORE COVER 83 PER CENT OF THE AVERAGE WEIGHTED FEE IN A PROFIT-MAKING HALF DAY KINDERGARTEN AND 66 PER CENT OF THE FEE IN A PROFIT-MAKING WHOLE DAY KINDERGARTEN.
IN THE CURRENT YEAR, 49 PER CENT OF KINDERGARTEN ENROLMENT WAS IN NON-PROFIT-MAKING INSTITUTIONS, AND THIS WAS PROJECTED TO RISE T90 50 PER CENT IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR, HE ADDED.
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