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Parents of children who will attend nursery, lower and upper classes in eligible local non-profit-making kindergartens in the 2008/09 school year can apply for fee subsidy under the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) starting from tomorrow (January 21).
A spokesman for the Education Bureau (EDB) said, "Parents of Hong Kong children who were born on or before December 31, 2005, and will attend kindergarten classes in local non-profit-making kindergartens eligible for the voucher scheme in the 2008/09 school year can submit their application for the PEVS starting from tomorrow. Students who have already been issued with the Certificate of Eligibility for the PEVS need not apply again."
Starting from the 2008/09 school year, all newly enrolled students or students transferred to a new kindergarten can receive fee subsidy only if they are attending eligible local non-profit-making kindergartens. Students already enrolled in private independent kindergartens eligible for voucher redemption as of the 2007/08 school year under the transitional arrangement may continue to receive fee subsidy through the voucher scheme throughout the validity period only if they continue their pre-primary education in the same kindergarten.
Parents can obtain application forms for assessment of eligibility for the PEVS together with information leaflets at district offices, post offices and regional education offices of the EDB as well as the Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) from tomorrow.
Application forms and related information can also be downloaded from the EDB website at www.edb.gov.hk and the SFAA website at www.sfaa.gov.hk.
Parents who wish to receive the Certificate of Eligibility for the PEVS before the beginning of the 2008/09 school year are advised to send their application forms together with supporting documents by post to the SFAA at 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, 2008.
Kindergartens eligible for voucher redemption must be:
* non-profit-making;
* offering the local curriculum; and
* charging a tuition fee not exceeding $24,000 per student per annum for half day classes (not exceeding $48,000 per student per annum for whole day classes).
The list of kindergartens eligible for the voucher scheme has been published in the "Profile of Kindergartens and Kindergarten-cum-Child Care Centres". Details are available on the EDB website.
Under the PEVS, the amount of fee subsidy is $11,000 per eligible student per annum in the 2008/09 school year. It will be increased in phases to $12,000, $14,000 and $16,000 in the 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12 school years respectively.
For details of the PEVS, parents can visit the EDB website or call the EDB hotline at 2891 0088. Enquiries about applications can be made at the SFAA hotline at 2154 2130.
Ends/Sunday, January 20, 2008
Issued at HKT 11:01
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