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The Education Bureau (EDB) today (January 16) announced that the 2009-10 school year Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) would be open for applications by parents from next Monday (January 19).
Parents of children attending nursery, lower and upper classes in eligible local non-profit-making kindergartens in the 2009-10 school year may receive a fee subsidy through the PEVS, which was introduced in 2007.
"A student-applicant must be a Hong Kong resident born on or before December 31, 2006, will attend kindergarten classes in a local non-profit-making kindergarten eligible for the voucher scheme in the 2009-10 school year and must not be holding a Certificate of Eligibility for the PEVS. Students who have already been issued with the Certificate of Eligibility for the PEVS need not apply again," a spokesman for the Education Bureau said.
Starting from Monday, parents may obtain application forms for Assessment of Eligibility for the PEVS together with information leaflets from District Offices, Post Offices, Regional Education Offices of the EDB as well as the Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA).
Application forms and other related information can also be downloaded from the EDB website (www.edb.gov.hk) and the SFAA website (www.sfaa.gov.hk).
Parents who wish to receive the Certificate of Eligibility for the PEVS before the beginning of the 2009-10 school year are advised to send their application forms together with supporting documents by post to the SFAA, Tsim Sha Tsui PO Box 95161, Kowloon, or drop their application forms into the drop-in box at the office of the SFAA on 12/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, on or before May 31.
Kindergartens eligible for voucher redemption must be non-profit-making, offering a local curriculum and charging a tuition fee not exceeding $24,000 per student per annum (for half day classes) or $48,000 per student per annum (for whole day classes).
In the 2009-10 school year, all newly enrolled students or students transferred to a new kindergarten will receive a fee subsidy only when they are attending eligible local non-profit-making kindergartens. The list of kindergartens eligible for the voucher scheme has been published in the kindergarten profile for parents' reference. Details are available on the homepage of the EDB.
The amount of fee subsidy is $12,000 per eligible student per annum in the 2009-10 school year. It will be gradually increased to $16,000 in the 2011-12 school year.
From the 2009-10 school year onwards, all parents on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (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 SFAA for the PEVS in order to receive the relevant fee subsidy, if they have not been issued with the Certificate of Eligibility for the PEVS. If financial assistance on top of the subsidy from the voucher is required, they should approach the Social Welfare Department (SWD) for additional assistance under the CSSA Scheme. They will no longer be required to apply separately to the SFAA for fee remission under the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme.
CSSA children who have been issued Certificates of Eligibility for the PEVS in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years will continue to receive fee subsidy throughout the validity period of the Certificate. However, from the 2009-10 school year onwards, if assistance on top of the subsidy provided by the voucher is required, they should approach the SWD for additional assistance under the CSSA Scheme.
This arrangement ensures that financial assistance for pre-primary education will be provided to CSSA families in a more convenient and timely manner. The financial assistance they receive will not be less than before.
To disseminate information on the PEVS to the public, the EDB will launch a series of publicity items ranging from TV and radio APIs to newspaper advertisements, posters and leaflets.
For details of the PEVS, please visit the homepage of the EDB or call 2891 0088. Enquiries about applications may be directed to the SFAA hotline at 2154 2130. Enquiries about applications for financial assistance for pre-primary education of CSSA children may be directed to the SWD hotline at 2343 2255.
Ends/Friday, January 16, 2009
Issued at HKT 18:56
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