Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Parents Eligibility
1. Q: What is the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS)?
A: The PEVS introduced since the 2007/08 school year mainly provides direct fee subsidy for parents of children attending nursery, lower and upper classes in local non-profit-making kindergartens under PEVS in meeting towards the tuition fee of kindergarten education for their children.
2. Q: Which kindergartens can redeem the voucher?
A: Kindergartens eligible for voucher redemption must be
non-profit-making kindergartens;
offering local curriculum; and
charging tuition fee not exceeding the fee thresholds set by the Education Bureau (EDB).
3. Q: What is a non-profit-making kindergarten? What is a private independent kindergarten?
A: Kindergartens having been granted exemption from tax under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) are recognised by the EDB as non-profit-making kindergartens, while others are Private Independent Kindergartens.
4. Q: How can parents access to the most updated information (including mode of operation) of KGs under PEVS?
A: Parents can refer to (http://www.chsc.hk/kindergarten) the Profile for Kindergartens and Kindergarten-cum-Child-Care-Centres to know the mode of operation of kindergartens (i.e. the category of non-profit-making kindergarten or Private Independent Kindergarten).
5. Q: Can parent continue to use the voucher after transferring the child to a kindergarten not joining or withdrawing from PEVS?
A: No. Pupil transferring to a kindergarten, other than a kindergarten joining PEVS in the year can neither receive fee subsidy under PEVS nor apply for the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme
6. Q: What is a local curriculum?
A: A local curriculum refers to curriculum implemented according to “Guide to Pre-primary Curriculum” issued by the Curriculum Development Council in 2006.
PEVS subsidy
1. Q: What is the amount of fee subsidy for PEVS?
A: The amount of fee subsidy in the 2015/16 school year is $22,510 per student per annum.
2. Q: If my child is now studying in a non-profit-making kindergarten which collects an annual school fee of $25,000, should I pay to the kindergarten an amount of tuition fee which is the difference between the annual school fee and the fee subsidy from PEVS?
A: Yes. Under PEVS, the school fee to be paid by parents should be the difference between school fee approved to be collected by the school and school fee subsidies from PEVS. If the school fee charged by the school is higher than the subsidy of PEVS, parents have to pay the difference. If the school fee charged by the school is lower than the subsidy from PEVS, parents are not required to pay any school fee and will not be reimbursed the difference either.
3. Q: What is included in school fee?
A: School fee should include the fee to be collected by schools for providing education services for its pupils. It includes all the expenditure directly relating to teaching and learning, school operation and maintenance of education services as in the following:
(a) the necessary expenditure that relates directly to teaching and learning like teaching materials and other consumables for teaching activities; and
(b) the necessary expenditure that relates to the operation and maintenance of education services like teaching and non-teaching staff salaries, rent and rates, maintenance and depreciation of school premises and furniture, telephone service, water and electricity charges, etc.
4. Q: Will kindergartens collect other fees besides school fee?
A: Kindergartens may collect other fees from parents through providing sale of school items or other paid services, such as school uniform, items used by students, books and bus services, etc. Such fees should not be included in the school fee. Schools should inform parents in writing
about the sale of such items/services and parents' acquisition is entirely voluntary.
5. Q: Has the Government taken any measures to monitor the school fees revision of kindergartens?
A: All along, individual kindergarten will apply to revise the school fees according to the annual income and expenditure estimates. All school fee revision applications have to be approved by the EDB. The school fee should include only the necessary expenses for providing education service for its students. Kindergartens should also inform parents in advance of all optional charge items for their reference. Moreover, kindergartens under PEVS are required to disclose their school fees and operation details in the Profile of Kindergartens and Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centres for parents’ reference.
Details for application
1. Q: How can parents apply for PEVS?
A: In order to receive fee subsidy through PEVS, parents should apply for an assessment of eligibility for PEVS for their children in the first instance.
Children assessed to be eligible for PEVS will receive a Certificate of Eligibility for PEVS (hereafter referred to as the ‘Voucher’). By presenting the original of the Voucher to the local non-profit-making kindergarten under PEVS which their children are attending, the kindergarten will be able to redeem the voucher from the EDB and parents will at the same time receive fee subsidy.
2. Q: Where can parents obtain the application forms?
A: Application forms and guidance notes are available at the District Offices of the Home Affairs Department, the Post Offices, the Regional Education Offices of the EDB and the Student Finance Office of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (hereafter known as “SFO”).
Application forms and related documents may also be downloaded from the homepage of the EDB at www.edb.gov.hk/pre-primary_e or the homepage of the SFO at http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo.
3. Q: How should parents return the completed application forms?
A: Parents may send the duly completed application form together with copies of necessary identity documents by post to the SFO, TSTPO Box 95161, Kowloon.
Alternatively, parents may enclose all relevant documents in a sealed envelope marked “Application for the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (2015/16)” and drop it into the drop-in box at the SFO on 12/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road,
4. Q: When should parents return the application forms?
A: Application for PEVS for the 2015/16 school year is open starting from 2 July 2014. As the 2015/16 Voucher will be used for registration for K1 places in 2015/16, parents who wish to arrange admission of their children to K1 classes in kindergartens under the “2015/16 K1 Admission Arrangements” are required to apply to the SFO for “Assessment of Eligibility for PEVS 2015/16” in July or August 2014. Eligible student-applicant will normally be issued with a 2015/16 Voucher in November 2014.
5. Q: How do parents know whether their applications have been received by the SFO?
A: The SFO will issue acknowledgement to applicants by either one of the following methods within 10 working days after receipt of the application- (1) if the applicant has filled out the mobile phone number in the
application form, the SFO will send an “Acknowledgement of Application” SMS to the applicants.
(2) if mobile phone number is not provided, the SFO will issue acknowledgement by post to the applicant.
If applicants do not receive any acknowledgment from the SFO three weeks after submitting their application forms, please call the SFO’s 24-hour hotline: 2802 2345 (the customer service officer of the 1823 will attend to the calls on a non-stop basis) to check whether the application has been received to avoid delay in application processing due to wrong/unsuccessful delivery.
6. Q: When will parents receive the Voucher?
A: Upon receipt of application and all necessary information in July or August 2014, the SFO will issue the 2015/16 Voucher to eligible applicants by post in November 2014 under normal circumstances.
Applicants who are required to provide supplementary information will be notified later pending their response on the provision of supplementary information.
If applicants submit their applications in or after September 2014, the SFO will generally take six to eight weeks to complete processing of the application, upon receipt of the application and all necessary information.
The SFO will inform parents of the results by post. Result of the applications and the 2015/16 Voucher will be issued to applicants in November 2014 or later. Each eligible student will receive the Voucher while unsuccessful applicants will be informed of the result by way of a
notification letter. Enquiries about individual applications may be directed to the SFO’s 24-hour hotline at 2802 2345 (the customer service officer of the 1823 will attend to the calls on a non-stop basis).
7. Q: Do parents need to apply for PEVS on a yearly basis?
A: Under normal circumstances, the SFO will issue to each eligible child a Voucher with a suitable validity period that will tie in with the period of study of the child to complete the pre-primary education. Those already issued with a Voucher need NOT re-apply for PEVS within the validity period as specified in the Voucher. In any case, the validity period of the Voucher will not exceed three years.
8. Q: Who will be eligible to join the 2015/16 PEVS?
A: Eligible children must be Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right to land or valid permission to remain without any conditions of stay (other than limit of stay) in Hong Kong.
As regards age, to tie in with the minimum age for admission to primary one, children must be aged 2 years and 8 months or above as at 31 August of the year of school admission to be eligible to apply for PEVS. In other words, those attending kindergartens in the 2015/16 school year must be aged 2 years and 8 months or above as at 31 August 2015 (i.e. born on or before 31 December 2012). Those born between 1 January and 31 December 2013 should apply for PEVS in the 2016/17 school year.
9. Q: Are children of ethnic minorities eligible to apply for PEVS?
A: Children who are Hong Kong residents with right of abode, right to land or valid permission to remain without any conditions of stay (other than limit of stay) in Hong Kong, are eligible to apply for PEVS, regardless of the ethnicity.
10. Q: What kind of documents should be submitted in applying for PEVS?
A: Applicant and his/her spouse have to provide copies of their Hong Kong identity cards in applying for PEVS. If this is not available, applicant and/or his/her spouse should provide copies of other valid identity documents, e.g. copies of their valid travel documents or identity documents issued by other authorities.
As for the child, if he/she was born in Hong Kong, the applicant should submit a copy of the Hong Kong Birth Certificate of the child. If the word “Established” is shown in the “Status of Permanent Resident”
column of the Birth Certificate, the applicant needs not provide other documentary proof.
However, if the “Status of Permanent Resident” is “Not Established”, apart from providing a copy of the Hong Kong Birth Certificate of the child (if
applicable), the applicant should provide one of the following valid identity documents of the child –
1. Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Re-entry Permit 2. HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (pages 1 to 3)
3. HKSAR Passport
4. Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card 5. One-way Exit Permit
6. Permit to Remain in the HKSAR (ID235B)
7. Entry Permit issued by the HKSAR Government or travel documents issued by other countries/territories bearing a valid permission to remain without any condition of stay (other than limit of stay) in Hong Kong
If the identity document of the child belongs to category (6) or (7) above, the applicant, his/her spouse and the child have to produce their own valid travel documents (pages showing the bearer's particulars, the latest visa label issued by the Immigration Department of HKSAR Government and the latest “Permission to remain” stamp issued by the Immigration Department indicating the latest period of lawful stay of the applicant, his/her spouse and the child) to the SFO as well. Children holding visitor visas, two-way exit permits or student visas only are not eligible to apply for PEVS.
11. Q: Should needy pupils continue to apply for KCFRS after the implementation of PEVS?
A: Yes. However applicants should first apply for PEVS for their child. If the fee subsidy from PEVS is not adequate to cover the school fee, needy families may apply for additional financial assistance under KCFRS separately. Details about application for KCFRS (2015/16) will be available in around July 2015. For enquiries, please visit the SFO’s homepage at http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo or call the SFO’s 24-hour hotline: 2802 2345 (the customer service officer of the 1823 will attend to the calls on a non-stop basis).
12. Q: How can parents get the fee subsidy after receiving the Voucher? How is the fee subsidy released to parents?
A: Upon receipt of the Voucher, parents should produce its original copy to the local non-profit-making kindergarten under PEVS their children are attending. They will then be eligible for fee deduction at the voucher value under PEVS. With the Voucher, the kindergarten can redeem voucher subsidy from the EDB to subsidise parents in paying the school fee. Parents will not receive any subsidy in cash.
The value of the voucher will be adjusted annually. The fee subsidy under PEVS disbursed to kindergartens by instalments will help alleviate the financial burden of parents in paying the monthly school fee. If the school fee is higher than the fee subsidy, parents should pay the difference by instalments. The amount of school fee to be collected from parents and the number of instalments for collection are specified on the Fee Certificate, which should be posted conspicuously in the kindergarten. If school fee is lower than the fee subsidy, the parents will not receive the difference.
13. Q: If parents do not send their children to kindergartens after receiving the Voucher for their children, will they receive other form of subsidy like cash?
A: Children holding valid Voucher will be eligible for fee subsidy only when they attend local non-profit-making kindergartens under PEVS during the period specified in the Voucher. Their parents will not receive any form of subsidy if their children do not attend kindergartens.
14. Q: How can an eligible kindergarten apply for redemption of the vouchers for the children admitted?
A: Kindergartens eligible for voucher redemption should send to EDB their applications for voucher redemption in which the particulars of pupils admitted should be included, such as pupil's name, course attended, date of admission and the serial number of Voucher so that EDB can validate pupil information and calculate the amount of subsidy. EDB will redeem annual fee subsidy to kindergartens by instalments. The details and procedures for voucher redemption have been announced through briefings and issue of guidelines to kindergartens, and kept in this webpage under the heading “Points to note in: Voucher Redemption”.
15. Q: If a pupil holding Voucher is transferred from one kindergarten to another kindergarten also joining PEVS in the year, will the pupil still be eligible for fee subsidy? Will the two kindergartens in which the pupil has attended be eligible for voucher redemption? If yes, how is the amount of fee subsidy calculated for the two kindergartens?
A: If a student holding a valid Voucher is transferred during the 2015/16 school year from one kindergarten to another kindergarten joining PEVS in the year, the student can still receive fee subsidy in the new school.
His/her parents should produce the original of the Voucher returned by the previous school to the new school. Fresh application for PEVS is not required. The amount of subsidy received by the two kindergartens will be calculated on the basis of the period that the student has attended the kindergartens during the school year. Parents should also be aware of the school fee of the new kindergarten, particularly the school fee after deduction of the fee subsidy under PEVS.
If the student is transferred from one kindergarten to another kindergarten in the middle of the month, in general, the new kindergarten attended by the student can only collect the school fee with education voucher redeemed in that month. However, if the student attends more than one kindergarten in a day or attends more than one kindergarten alternatively in a month, the kindergarten not entitled to redeem voucher can, upon such circumstance, charge the respective parent the tuition fee without voucher subsidy for the month.
16. Q: If children holding the Voucher discontinue their study during the validity period of the Voucher, for example, they only attended two years’ study within the three-year validity period of the Voucher, can the validity period of the Voucher be deferred for 1 school year, so that they can complete the whole three-year kindergarten education with fee subsidy from PEVS?
A: Parents can choose to send their children holding the Voucher to kindergarten for pre-primary education according to their circumstances during the validity period. The Voucher is redeemable within the validity period and will expire afterwards. For parents who arrange their children to attend kindergartens for two school years only within the three-year validity period, and who now wish to apply for extension of the Voucher’s validity period, they need to provide reasonable explanation as to why their children cannot complete kindergarten education within the validity period of the Voucher.
In case a child drops out from a kindergarten for a whole school year due to special family problem, the Government may approve his/her application for deferring the validity period of his/her Voucher for 1 school year. However, the sum of school years to be involved in voucher redemption cannot be more than 3 school years.
17. Q: If children holding the Voucher repeat their study in the same level, and require more than 3 years’ time to complete the kindergarten programme, will the validity period of the Voucher be extended?
A: The maximum validity period of the Voucher is three years and redemption can only be made before the expiry of the validity period.
Application for extension of validity of the Voucher will only be considered under very special circumstances of individual children with proven special educational needs. In the event of such application, the applicant must provide strong and solid proof, for example, an assessment report issued by registered medical practitioner or professional, confirming special educational difficulties of the child that warrant the need for the child to pursue kindergarten education for a period longer than the normal three years.
18. Q: Are children currently in receipt of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) eligible for PEVS?
A: All parents on CSSA with children at the age appropriate for pre-primary education, like other parents with pre-primary children, are required to submit applications to the SFO for PEVS, in order to receive fee subsidy through PEVS, if they have not been issued with the Voucher. In case additional financial assistance on top of the subsidy from the voucher is required, they should approach SWD direct for additional assistance under the CSSA Scheme. For enquiries about applications for PEVS, please call the SFO’s 24-hour hotline at 2802 2345 (the customer service officer of the 1823 will attend to the calls on a non-stop basis). Enquiries about applications for assistance under the CSSA Scheme for pre-primary education may be made to the SWD’s hotline at 2343 2255.
19. Q: If children previously in receipt of CSSA cease to be eligible for the scheme in the middle of a school year, could they apply for PEVS?
A: CSSA families with children currently attending kindergarten classes should already have been issued with the Voucher in the school year and are benefitting from fee subsidy under PEVS. If the family ceases to be eligible for the CSSA in the middle of the school year, parents of the children can apply for additional assistance under the KCFRS in case the fee subsidy under PEVS is inadequate to cover the entire amount of school fee and the family is financially in need. Details of application for KCFRS in the 2015/16 school year will be announced by the SFO in around July 2015. For enquiries, please visit the SFO’s homepage at http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo or call the SFO’s 24-hour hotline at 28022345 (the customer service officer of the 1823 will attend to the calls on a non-stop basis).
20. Q: Will CSSA families receive less financial assistance related to pre-primary education of their children in the 2015/16 school year as compared with previous years?
A: As with KCFRS, grants receivable by CSSA families to cover school fees for pre-primary education of children are subject to a fee remission ceiling.
The ceilings are adjusted annually with reference to the fees of non-profit-making half-day and whole-day kindergartens eligible for PEVS. Part of the subsidy from PEVS will be provided to the families by way of direct credit from the EDB to the kindergarten the CSSA children are attending to offset part or the entire amount of tuition fees charged by the kindergarten, dependent on the level of the tuition fees. Additional assistance on top of the subsidy from PEVS, where applicable, will be provided to the parent under the CSSA Scheme for pre-primary education.
21. Q: Should the original of the Voucher be kept by the kindergarten the student enroll and if yes, will the kindergarten return the original to the student concerned upon transfer?
A: Students holding the Voucher should present their original copy to the kindergarten they enroll so that students are eligible to pay the “Fee with Education Voucher Redeemed” and kindergartens can redeem the voucher.
The Voucher will be kept by the kindergarten the student enrolls and kindergartens will issue an acknowledgement to parents to confirm receipt of the Voucher.
Upon students' completion of the kindergarten courses or withdrawal, the kindergartens will return the original copy of the Voucher to the parents.
If a student moves to another kindergarten under PEVS during the validity period, his/her parent can submit the Voucher to the new school so that the kindergarten can redeem the voucher.
22. Q: If pupils receiving school fee subsidy under PEVS are absent from school for a long time, can they still be eligible for fee subsidy during the period of absence?
A: To be entitled to receive fee subsidy for a month, eligible pupil studying in a PEVS kindergarten must have attended kindergarten class in that month.
If the pupil is absent from kindergarten, parent should notify the kindergarten concerned as soon as possible. Generally speaking, pupils who are absent from school for a whole month will not be entitled to receive the fee subsidy for that month. Notwithstanding that, discretion may be considered on an individual case by case basis for special cases (e.g. illness) with documentary proof.
Profile of Kindergartens and Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centres
1. Q: What is the coverage of the KG Profile?
A: The “2013 Profile of Kindergarten and Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centres Profile” (KG Profile) has been published in September 2013 for parents' reference. The Profile displays the updated list of all kindergartens joining PEVS and the current approved school fee of all KGs for the 2013/14 school year. Parents may browse the web version of the KG Profile from the following website : http://www.chsc.hk/kindergarten . The “2014 Profile of Kindergarten and Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centres Profile” (KG Profile) has been scheduled to upload onto the respective website in September 2014.
If a kindergarten intends to join PEVS, it must disclose the details of the main operation items in the KG Profile so as to enhance its operational
transparency. The coverage of the KG Profile includes its school name, joining PEVS or not, address, telephone number, fax number, student type, school type, approved school fee, number and qualification of teaching staff, etc.. These data will be drawn from the Education Bureau's information system. The KG Profile will also be hyperlinked to the
“Quality Review Report” (applicable to kindergartens joining PEVS that had undergone quality review). Kindergartens joining PEVS are also required to disclose information including school facilities, curriculum details, school characteristics, prices of major items of trading operation, working experience and salary of teaching staff, and other operational expenses.
2. Q: How do parents choose a kindergarten after the implementation of PEVS?
A: We suggest parents to read the KG Profile for important information of kindergartens, including joining PEVS or not, academic qualifications of principals and teachers, number of teachers, enrolment figures, facilities, curriculum, and teaching and learning arrangement, etc.
Parents are advised to visit the kindergartens in person so as to find out if the atmosphere and students' learning environment is suitable for their children.
Kindergarten
Eligibility for Redemption of Voucher
1. Q: If the voucher value does not meet the kindergarten expenditure, can the kindergarten collect school fee from parents?
A: All school fees should be approved by the EDB. If the voucher value does not meet the school fee, the kindergarten can collect the difference.
2. Q: If a kindergarten offers both local and non-local curriculum, will the kindergarten be eligible for PEVS?
A: An eligible kindergarten must be non-profit-making, offer local curriculum, and meet the prescribed school fee limits. If a kindergarten provides both local and non-local curriculum streams and that the operation of the two streams is totally independent, including teachers, students or accounts, etc., the local stream, if fulfilling all the prescribed criteria for PEVS, should be eligible for voucher redemption.
3. Q: For a NPM KG-cum-CCC that has joined PEVS, should its CCC portion be the approved subsidiary to the same organisation of the KG under S88 of taxes exemption of the Inland Revenue Ordinance?
A: For a KG-cum-CCC with kindergarten and child care centre operated on the same location, there are common areas in their registered premises and usually, the facilities and manpower are of shared use by them and it is difficult to divide the two services into separate entities distinctly in actual operation. Thus, if the KG portion of a KG-cum-CCC has joined PEVS under NPM status, the CCC portion should also be of NPM status and exempt from taxes under S88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance as being the approved subsidiary to the same organisation of the KG.
4. Q: If a NPM kindergarten that has joined PEVS wishes to register a child care centre on the same kindergarten location, is it necessary for the CCC portion to be of NPM status and exempt from taxes under S88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance as being the approved subsidiary to the same organisation of the KG?
A: For a KG-cum-CCC with kindergarten and child care centre operated on the same location, there are common areas in their registered premises and usually, the facilities and manpower are of shared use by them and it is difficult to divide the two services into separate entities distinctly in actual operation. Thus, if the KG portion of a KG-cum-CCC has joined PEVS under NPM status, the CCC portion should also be of NPM status and exempt from taxes under S88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance as being the approved subsidiary to the same organisation of the KG. Within 3 months from the date of registration of the CCC portion, the newly formed KG-cum-CCC is required to submit to the Education Bureau a certified true copy of the confirmation letter recognising the KG and CCC portion exempt from taxes as being the approved subsidiary to the same organisation of the KG, duly signed by the school supervisor.
5. Q: How can a private independent kindergarten change to non-profit-making status?
A: Kindergartens having been granted exemption from tax under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) (for details, please refer to “A Tax Guide for Charitable Institutions and Trusts of a Public Character”, http://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/ach_tgc.htm) are recognised by the Education Bureau as non-profit-making kindergartens. Any organisation wishing to seek exemption from tax under section 88 should submit to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) an application letter, a copy of the relevant certificate of registration, a certified true copy of the governing instrument (the Memorandum and Articles of Association in the case of a corporation, the Trust Deed in the case of a trust or the Constitution in the case of a society), a list of any activities which have been carried out in the past 12 months (or less, if appropriate) and a list of activities planned for the next 12 months and a copy of its accounts for the last financial year (if the organisation has been established for 18 months or more). In case the organisation has not yet been established, the required documents would be restricted to an application letter, the draft governing instrument and the planned activity list.
6. Q: How long is required for a private independent kindergarten to change from private independent to non-profit-making status?
A: Education Bureau encourages private independent kindergartens to apply for conversion to non-profit-making status as early as possible. Inland Revenue Department will usually grant tax exemption within eight weeks from the date of receipt of the application, provided that there are no identified deficiencies in the governing instrument and there is no need to request for supplementary information. Otherwise, the time taken to process the application will depend on the facts of each individual case and the speed with which the applicants can rectify deficiencies and supply any requested information.
7. Q: Is it true that application will only be accepted when there is a shortfall of kindergarten places in the district?
A: The conversion of kindergarten status has nothing to do with the supply of places in the district.
8. Q: Are operators of a PI KG-cum-CCC required to change both the KG section and the CCC section to NPM status before re-applying to join the PEVS under the status of a NPM KG? Why?
A: Yes. For a KG-cum-CCC operated on the same location, there are common areas in their registered premises and usually facilities and manpower are of shared use by them and, hence in actual operation, it is difficult to divide the two services into separate entities distinctly.
Therefore, these operators should change both the KG section and the CCC section to NPM status and become subsidiaries of the same organization before re-applying to join PEVS.
9. Q: Is private independent kindergarten eligible for rent reimbursement after converting to non-profit-making status?
A: According to current policy, non-profit-making kindergarten can apply for rent reimbursement under set requirements; all new applications will be processed according to the requirements.
Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme
1. Q: Parents who are financially in need may apply for additional financial assistance under KCFRS when their children are enrolled in a kindergarten eligible for PEVS. Please advise how the additional assistance under KCFRS should be derived.
A: Upon implementation of PEVS, low-income families with children attending nursery (K1), lower (K2) or upper (K3) classes in kindergarten
non-means-tested fee subsidy from PEVS and the other part is the means-tested fee remission from KCFRS. If fee subsidy from PEVS is inadequate to cover entirely the actual tuition fees charged by the kindergarten, parents may apply for additional assistance from KCFRS.
Those passing the means test will be provided with fee remission with reference to the level of assistance they are assessed to be eligible for.
The formula for calculating the fee remission amount is as follows – Half-day class
monthly fee remission
=
[Annual tuition fee or fee remission ceiling (whichever is the less) voucher value dedicated towards fee subsidy] x level of assistance
No. of operating months of the kindergarten
Whole-day class monthly fee remission
=
[Annual tuition fee or fee remission ceiling (whichever is the less) voucher
value dedicated towards fee subsidy] x level of assistance / no. of operating
months of the kindergarten
+
[Actual monthly meal charge or maximum
meal allowance (whichever is the
less) x level of assistance]
Fee remission ceilings for KCFRS for children attending nursery, lower or upper classes in the 2014/15 school year are:
Half-day class : $26,500 per student per annum Whole-day class: $40,500 per student per annum
Maximum meal allowance: $480 per student per month
Needy parents with children attending day crèches, day nurseries or relevant classes in kindergarten-cum-child care centres will continue to receive fee remission amount under KCFRS according to the formula for calculation of fee remission for the age group 0 to 3, provided the parents can pass the means test and the social needs test (the assistance does not involve fee subsidy from PEVS).
2. Q: How should an applicant eligible for fee subsidy under the 2015/16 PEVS lodge an application for additional financial assistance under the KCFRS?
A: The applicant should pay attention to details of application for the KCFRS in the 2015/16 school year to be announced by the SFO in due course.
The announcement will be made in around July 2015. For enquiries, please visit the SFO’s homepage at http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/sfo or call the SFO’s 24-hour hotline at 2802 2345 (the customer service officer of the 1823 will attend to the calls on a non-stop basis).
Collection of Voucher by Kindergartens
1. Q: Can kindergartens which have been approved to join PEVS collect students’ Voucher immediately when a school place has been offered to them?
A: According to the existing guidelines on admission of new students, kindergartens should start recruitment of nursery class (K1) students for the next school year no earlier than November of each year. They may collect registration fee (i.e. deposit) from children enrolled at $970 for half-day session ($1,570 for whole-day session) or half of the monthly tuition fee, whichever is lower. Kindergartens must refund the registration fee to any student/child who pays the registration fee and subsequently takes up the school place after receiving the first instalment of the school fee from the him/her. The first instalment of the tuition fee must not be collected before 1st August (if the new school year starts in September) or before 1st July (if the new school year starts in August).
The above practice will remain unchanged under PEVS. With a view to facilitating the smooth operation of the admission process of KGs and helping parents confirm early a kindergarten place for their child, the EDB will implement measures to enhance the admission arrangements for K1 in KGs for the 2015/16 school year (hereafter referred as “2015/16 K1 Admission Arrangements”). Under the arrangements, if a child holding a Voucher is offered a school place by a PEVS kindergarten or a non-PEVS local kindergarten joining “one student not more than one place” measure under the 2015/16 K1 Admission Arrangements and the offer is accepted, parent should present the original copy of the Voucher of his/her child to the kindergarten for retention. The kindergarten will issue an acknowledgement to parent to confirm receipt of the Voucher.
The Voucher belongs to the students. Upon student’s completion of kindergarten courses or withdrawal, the kindergarten will return the original copy of the Voucher to parents.
Reference
EDB Circular No. 4/2014 “Collection of Application Fee and Registration Fee, Admission of Students and Provision of Information by Kindergartens”
Teacher Development
1. Q: Is there any course fees subsidy for serving principals and teachers to pursue the relevant approved courses?
A: To provide further support for the professional upgrading of kindergarten principals and teachers, the Government offers course fee reimbursement
to principals and teachers who are serving in PEVS kindergartens and pursuing a relevant approved course in the 2012/13 and/or 2013/14 school year(s) and complete the course successfully on or before 31 August 2014.
They are entitled to course fee reimbursement for up to 50% of the course fees. The deadline for application is 31 October 2014. For details, please refer to the EDB Circular Memorandum No. 100/2013. The
“Guidance Notes on Application for Course Fee Reimbursement” and the Claim Form have been uploaded onto the website of EDB:
(http://www.edb.gov.hk: Homepage Education System Kindergarten Education PEVS Professional Development of Principals and Teachers)
Quality Review
1. Q: It was mentioned in the 2006-07 Policy Address that kindergartens decided to participate in PEVS would be inspected to assure its education quality.
What form of inspection will be conducted?
A: The Education Bureau will conduct Quality Review (QR) to assure kindergartens’ education quality. Schools need to implement the school self-evaluation (SSE) and compile their School Reports & Annual School Plans. After the submission of the two documents, reviewers of the Education Bureau will visit the schools to validate the SSE findings and evaluate if they have met the prescribed standard. The first five years of PEVS was completed and the Scheme will be extended beyond the 2012/13 school year. The EDB will continue to conduct QR as the inspection mode.
2. Q: When will PEVS and the related inspection be launched? Do all kindergartens need to undergo QR?
A: To tie in with PEVS, QR will be conducted. All kindergartens that opt to join the Scheme need to meet the prescribed standards with reference to the performance indicators in order to continue redeeming the voucher.
And their QR reports will also be uploaded onto the Education Bureau homepage. For those that do not participate in the Scheme, existing inspection mode will still be executed.
3. Q: Do kindergartens know how to evaluate their own performance?
A: After years of practice, KGs have become familiar with the concept and basic skills of SSE. The EDB would lead KGs to further focus on the overall planning of learning and teaching, thoroughly realising the cycle-concept of “Planning - Implementation - Evaluation” to promote continuous development of schools. To assist KGs to master self-evaluation skills, the EDB had organised 50 workshops for all KGs from January to June 2012. The revised template of “School Report” and a “School Self-evaluation Manual” can be found at the EDB website.
The EDB will continue to organise training and experience sharing sessions to promote professional exchange.
May 2015
