XN000022-1993-02-03 — Page 6

POLICY BACKGROUND

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1993

OF THE

OF

IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO ENABLE ALL CHILDREN RELEVANT AGE GROUP TO HAVE ACCESS TO KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION WITHIN A NON-COMPULSORY PRIVATE SECTOR SYSTEM. CONTRARY TO THE PERCEPTION SOME COMMENTATORS, THIS POLICY POSITIVELY RECOGNISES THE VALUE OF KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF OUR CHILDREN. AND IT HAS ENABLED 85% OF OUR CHILDREN IN THE AGE GROUP то ATTEND KINDERGARTENS.

AS PART OF THIS POLICY, THE GOVERNMENT HAS, SINCE 1982. PROVIDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE KINDERGARTEN SECTOR BY REFUNDING THE RENT AND RAPES OF NON-PROFIT-MAKING KINDERGARTENS. IN 1989, FOLLOWING CONSIDERATION OF THE EDUCATION COMMISSION'S REPORT NO. 2 WE DECIDED TO TAKE SEVERAL ADDITIONAL STEPS 1TH THE OBJECTIVE IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION:

+

OF

WE INTRODUCED A NEW PRE REMISSION SCHEMF TO HELP NEEDY PARENTS PAY THE FEES WHICH PRIVATE SECTOR KINDERGARTENS NEEDED TO CHARGE IN ORDER TO PAY THE SALARIES OF TRAINED TEACHERS;

WE ORGANISED FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME TEACHER TRAINING COURSES TO UPGRADE THE QUALITY OF KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS;

WE ISSUKD CURRICULUM GUIDELINES ΤΟ HELP TEACHERS PREPARE THEIR TUITION SCBEDULES;

KINDERGARTEN

TEACHER: PUPIL ENSURE THAT INTO THE

AND WE INTRODUCED LEGISLATION FOR A MINIMUM RATIO, AS WELL AS NORMATIVE SALARY SCALES TO PROPERLY TRAINED TRACHERS WOULD BE ATTRACTED PROFESSION AND ENCOURAGED TO STAY IN IT.

OUR AIM WAS TO ENCOURAGE KINDERGARTEN OPERATORS TO ACHIEVE, OVER TIME, SUCCESSIVE TRAINED-TEACHER TARGETS OF 40%, 60% AND EVENTUALLY 85%. THE BROADER AIM WAS TO RAISE KINDERGARTEN STAFFING STANDARDS TO THOSE OF CHILD CARE CENTRES, SO AS TO PAVE THE WAY FOR THE EVENTUAL UNIFICATION OF PRE-PRIMARY SERVICES. A WORKING PARTY ON KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION WAS FORMED TO MONITOR PROGRESS AND ADVISE ON ANY FURTHER MEASURES NEEDED.

PROGRESS SO FAR

TO

WE HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED ENCOURAGING RESULTS. IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF ITS IMPLEMENTATION, THE NEW PACKAGE BOOSTED AVERAGE TEACHER SALARIES, IN REAL TERMS, BY 19.5% FOR QUALIFIED KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS (QKTS) AND 14% FOR QUALIFIED ASSISTANT KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS (QAKTS). THE WASTAGE RATE OF TRAINED TEACHERS DROPPED FROM 19.4% IN 1988-89 12% IN 1990-91. ENROLMENT IN QAKT COURSES HAS ALSO RISEN SHARPLY, BY 30% IN THE FIRST YEAR AND BY ANOTHER 28% IN THE SECOND. UNFORTUNATELY, QKT COURSES HAVE DONE LESS WELL, WITH A 30% DROP IN ENROLMENT IN 1991- 92 AS COMPARED TO THE YEAR BEFORE. NEVERTHELESS, AS OF SEPTEMBER 1992, 61% OF KINDERGARTENS WERE EMPLOYING 40% OR MORE TRAINED TEACHERS, THUS ACHIEVING THE FIRST OF THE SUCCESSIVE TARGETS I MENTIONED EARLIER.

'EXPENDITURE ON KGS