"Appropriate conversion arrangements will be made to ensure that serving kindergarten teachers will not lose out in the adjustment exercise, if the recommendations are endorsed," the spokesman added.
At present, qualified kindergarten teachers are appointed Kindergarten Principals and paid $11,315 to $17,290 (MPS 10-18) plus a monthly allowance of $960. This is unsatisfactory, since Kindergarten Principals may be in charge of up to 1,000 children for two half-day sessions. Child Care Supervisors currently have their own scale, that is $13,535 - $19,055 (MPS 13-20).
To ensure that the pay and conditions in one sector are not out of line with another sector with similar clients/work, the working group recommended that Child Care Supervisors and a new rank of Kindergarten Principal should be paid on a scale of MPS 14-22.
In recognition of the fact that some kindergartens are very large (and much larger than child care centres), it has also been proposed that the scale for Kindergarten Principals may be extended to MPS 24 in exceptional cases.
Another recommendation made by the Working Party was the introduction of a new training rank based on the civil service Training Pay Scale (TPS) on the ground that both grades provided in-service training.
The provision of the new TPS will give unqualified kindergarten teachers an immediate boost in salary ($565 per month) and subsequent increments while under training (at present they stay on MPS 1 for three years).
They will then get a jump in pay to MPS 7 after two to three years on their appointment as qualified kindergarten teachers following completion of training.
It is further proposed to grant child care staff working in residential and special child care centres an allowance equivalent to one salary increment while they are attending the special training course, and an allowance equivalent to two salary increments upon completion of the training.
The staff working in these centres require special knowledge and skills in looking after children from broken families who may have behavioural/emotional difficulties or in providing education and training for children with a physical and/or mental disability.
The proposed allowance will provide the appropriate incentive for people to apply to join and for staff to remain in these most demanding fields of child care.