TNAG-1073-FCO40-1323-Policy-of-the-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-including-1981 — Page 79

Further assistance for kindergartens

9.17

In order to help keep fees to the level envisaged in the fee assistance scheme (see para. 9.12) and at the same time provide what the Government believes would be a better service, it is proposed to encourage non-profit-making agencies to operate kindergartens. In addition to the assistance which non-profit-making kindergartens already receive in the form of reimbursement of rates, it is proposed that rent assistance should be pro- vided where they are established in public housing estates. It is further proposed that kindergarten premises should be allocated to non-profit-making agencies on the same basis as premises for providing other welfare services to estate residents. Subject to the agreement of the Housing Authority, the Government proposes that kindergarten premises in public housing estates should be made available at a welfare rent and that such premises should only be allocated to suitable educational bodies upon the recommendation of the Director of Education. Existing profit-making kindergartens in public housing estates should also be encouraged to become non-profit-making.

9.18

The Government will enter into discussions with the Housing Authority on the question of how best to resolve these issues.

9.19

If the proposals for rent assistance for non-profit-making kinder- gartens can be implemented by September 1981, it is estimated that the cost of providing rent assistance to the existing non-profit-making estate kindergartens, would be approximately $1.1m per annum. If all of the profit-making kinder- gartens were to become non-profit-making by 1985/86 the cost of rent assistance by that time would be about $2.5m per annum. With the current planned provision of new kindergartens in estates it is estimated that, by 1986, the total re- current cost of rent assistance would be $4.8m.

9.20

would be:

The corresponding costs of rates assistance for estate kindergartens

(a) existing kindergartens

$0.76m

(b)

effect if all estate kindergartens become non-profit-making

$0.49m

(c)

new kindergartens built up to 1985/86

$0.22m

Total cost of rates assistance by 1985/86

: $1.47m

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