children attend schools elsewhere, while a small proportion receive no primary education even though there may be vacancies available close to their homes. The reasons for this appear to be mainly economic, the children being required either to add to the family income, or to look after their younger brothers and sisters while both parents are at work.
92. It is also evident that there is a need for kindergartens to accommodate pre-school age children. This stems from the fact that parents prefer their children to attend kindergartens where some element of formal education is provided rather than a play centre or nursery, of which 32 exist in the resettlement estates. A programme for adapting the end bays of Mark V blocks for use as kindergartens was therefore decided on during the year, on an agreed ratio of one 45-pupil classroom to 1,800 residents. In the older blocks ground floor units will be recovered where possible for this purpose. These kindergartens will not be subsidized by the Education Department but accommodation will be allocated by the Resettlement Department to suitable welfare agencies at a nominal rent of $1 a month. The kinder- gartens are therefore not permitted to make a profit, and fees must only be sufficient to cover expenses.
WELFARE
93. In the Marks I, II and III estates, rooftop or ground floor rooms are used as nurseries, clubs, clinics, casework centres and for many other welfare purposes. In the Mark IV estates, however, although some ground floor rooms are available for welfare activities which require little space, these facilities will be largely accommodated in separate estate welfare buildings. One such building is already in existence at Ham Tin estate and a second building, at Shek Lei estate, is nearing completion. Further similar buildings will be constructed in Sau Mau Ping, Tsz Wan Shan and Ngau Tau Kok estates. These welfare buildings house a variety of services, government and unofficial, planned and co-ordinated by the Social Welfare Department and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service; mutual interests will be co-ordinated by a voluntary joint management committee. A nominal rent of $1 a month is charged for all welfare premises in estates, irrespective of size.
94. In addition, three government community centres have been built, near Wong Tai Sin, Tai Hang Tung and Kwun Tong estates.
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