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5.5 To improve the environment of KG premises, the EDB revised the Schedule of Accommodation (SoA) for KGs in October 2017, with the indoor floor area for each student increased by 20%. Specifically, apart from an increase in areas for classroom and indoor activity, there are newly added facilities such as a multi-purpose room/area and a small group teaching room. The revised SoA for KGs has been incorporated into the
“Operation Manual for Pre-primary Institutions”. The Government will take into account the revised SoA as far as practicable when reserving space for new KGs in public housing estates.
5.6 KG premises are generally small in size, with limited space and facilities for children to learn through play and experiential activities. To address KGs’ need for more space to conduct different activities, the EDB has been actively exploring the feasibility of setting up resource centres as a medium-/long-term measure to facilitate the organisation of experiential learning activities for KG students, teacher training programmes and parent education activities. In this connection, the EDB collaborated with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and capitalised on its resources to set up KG education resource centres at the Lions Nature Education Centre in Tsiu Hang, Sai Kung and the Hong Kong Wetland Park in Yuen Long in November 2018. The EDB also commissioned the Hong Kong Baptist University to develop relevant learning and teaching resource packages to cultivate children’s positive attitudes towards caring for the nature and appreciation of life as well as leaflets for parents to introduce to them the concepts of free exploration, learning through play and roles of parents, including their proper attitudes towards the modes of play adopted by children, ways to create opportunities for free play, points to note for free play, etc. The relevant materials have been uploaded onto the EDB website for use of teachers and parents. The resource centres have been highly commended by visiting teachers. The EDB and AFCD are planning to expand the resource centre in Tsiu Hang to provide more outdoor areas and indoor spaces in facilitating children’s learning through free play.
Views and discussions
5.7 There were views that KG premises provided by the Government are limited in number. Due to the large number of applicant bodies and
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the need to submit detailed proposals and documents in the application, some KGs may choose not to submit their applications given the slim chance of success. With the decline in enrollment, the EDB encourages KGs to relocate to newly developed areas. However, some KGs considered that relocation to other districts would affect their provision of services in the original districts. Besides, in view of the huge expenses involved, many KGs were not interested in relocation. The sector hoped that more government-owned KG premises would be made available for application. Some suggested that the EDB should accord priority to applications for relocation and provide KGs with an additional subsidy for relocation.
5.8 As regards rental subsidy, stakeholders generally opined that the EDB should continue to provide KGs with rental subsidy under the existing arrangements. Yet, KGs operated in private premises are facing pressure from rent increases, and some KGs are suffering from financial hardship because their actual rental cost exceeds the market rent as assessed by the Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) and such difference has to be borne by non-government funds as it cannot be charged to Government subsidy or school fees. Though the EDB encourages KGs to relocate to premises that incur lower costs or apply for school premises provided by the Government, most KGs are not interested in relocation because of the huge expenses involved. As for the KGs currently under the four-year grace period of rental subsidy, they are concerned about the possibility of substantial increase in school fees within a short period of time when the grace period ends at the close of the 2020/21 school year.
5.9 As regards maintenance of school premises, the KG sector was generally of the view that the existing premises maintenance grant can alleviate their financial burden on premises maintenance. However, currently, only KGs operating in self-owned school premises or premises owned by their SSBs / operators are eligible for the grant and the number of KGs so benefited are limited. Besides, premises maintenance grant does not cover renovation works. For renovation works, KGs will have to use the portion of the unit subsidy other than teaching staff salary, accumulated surplus or school fees collected. For KGs with poor premises conditions, it is a financial burden for them.
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5.10 The sector agreed that the KG education resource centres at the Lions Nature Education Centre and the Hong Kong Wetland Park are conducive to KG students’ learning. Some hoped that more KG education resource centres could be set up in other districts in view of the relatively remote locations of the aforementioned KG education resource centres in the New Territories.
5.11 The Government has been planning to set up a standalone KG education centre. A total of 16 consultation sessions were conducted to collect opinions of stakeholders (including early childhood education experts/academics, professionals from different fields, and frontline early childhood educators) on the design of the centre. The sector was pleased with the proposal, looking forward to funding approval and its early implementation. Stakeholders opined that the education centre should be different from a playground, designed with reference to the KG curriculum, needs from the perspective of children, and cater for students with special needs and NCS students. Regarding the design of the centre, stakeholders made valuable suggestions which included providing sufficient space and diversified materials for students’ free play; facilities for activities with elements of science, nature, environmental protection, culture, values education, etc.; promoting an inclusive culture by helping children to have an understanding of China and cultural diversity; and making good use of the latest technology. The sector also expected that the EDB could make use of the resources of the KG education centre to organise teacher training programmes and parent education activities. Parents would better understand the relationship between children’s growth and the learning mode through on-site experience, and the effectiveness of learning through play and free exploration, with a view to bringing them away from mechanical drilling and over-teaching.
Way forward
5.12 The Government will continue to earmark sufficient space for KG premises in new public housing estates with new demand, explore ways to provide more government-owned KG premises, and explore the feasibility of co-location of KGs and primary schools.
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5.13 We will continue to encourage KGs operating in private premises to apply for relocation to government-owned school premises. To encourage KGs in districts with aging population to relocate to newly developed areas, or KGs at rented private premises to relocate to premises with lower rent or to apply for government-owned school premises, the EDB announced in August 2020 that a two-year Pilot Scheme on Relocation Grant was launched in the 2020/21 school year, under which each successful applicant can receive a one-off grant of $1.5 million. To further encourage more KGs to apply for relocation to government-owned KG premises, the EDB will extend the Relocation Grant to the 2022/23 school year. Furthermore, the EDB has streamlined the mechanism for allocation of KG premises in 2021 with a view to encouraging more KGs to apply for relocation. Priority will be accorded to those applying for relocation. KGs’ overall operating standard and needs are the key considerations in considering the applications.
5.14 As regards the rental, about 30 KGs were paying market rent and were eligible for full rental subsidy prior to the implementation of the Scheme. These KGs are currently under a grace period of four years (from the 2017/18 to the 2020/21 school years), after which their rental subsidy is subject to “dual” caps19, in a similar manner as other KGs paying market rent. The EDB understands that individual KGs might need to increase their school fees due to the reduction in rental subsidy after the end of the grace period. In light that the current economic situation is not yet stable, and to minimise the impacts on parents, the grace period will be extended for two years (i.e. 2021/22 and 2022/23 school years), during which the amount of subsidy will be decreased by 15% each year to facilitate schools’ gradual transition to the new arrangement.
5.15 Currently, some KGs with the rental cost exceeding the market rent as assessed by the RVD have to deploy non-government funds to make up the difference. The EDB considers that neither the Government’s resources nor school fees from parents should be used to subsidise owners’
unreasonable rental rates, and thus it is necessary to adopt the market rent as assessed by the RVD as an objective yardstick. At present, there are only a small number (less than 50 KGs) of such schools. We suggest
19 50% open market rental as assessed by Rating and Valuation Department (RVD), or 15% of the
“basic half-day unit subsidy” for all eligible students under the Scheme, whichever is lower.
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these schools to negotiate with the landlords on a reasonable level of rent or relocate to premises leased at a reasonable cost.
5.16 To address the concern about renovation of KG premises, the EDB launched a two-year Pilot Scheme on Renovation Grant in the 2020/21 school year so as to alleviate KGs’ financial burden in improving the school environment. Each successful applicant receives a grant of $0.5 million and the estimated annual quota of the pilot scheme is 50. After the launching of Pilot Scheme on Renovation Grant, it was well received by the KG sector. Taking into account the available resources and needs from the KG sector, the quota will be increased by 200 in the 2021/22 school year to benefit more KGs.
5.17 The EDB will spare no effort to take forward the plan for setting up a KG education centre to provide activities which could not be conducted in KGs because of inadequate space. In the meantime, the EDB will continue to explore how to collaborate with other organisations or government departments to assign designated areas suitable for KG students and enhance learning elements for KG students in the existing facilities or venues. The EDB will also provide KGs with information about the government facilities suitable for visits or experiential activities of KG students and encourage KGs to make good use of the existing resources which are suitable for KG students.
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