Government 'should not run' preschools
Head of kindergarten committee says only the private sector has the flexibility to deal with the needs of growing neighbourhoods
Government-run preschools should not be part of the city's 15 years of free education, the head of a committee on kindergarten operations has suggested.
Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi, chair of the Committee on Free Kindergarten Education, said children should go to kindergartens close to their homes, so it was therefore necessary to maintain the flexibility offered by the private sector.
"I firmly believe that it would be impossible for large-scale government-run kindergartens [to be built]," Cheng said. "For example, if there's a new town being built … the need for kindergarten places increases."
Cheng, who is also the chairman of the Education Commission, said government planning would not be the best way to adapt to such situations. "The government can plan how many kindergarten places are needed per 10,000 or 1,000 people," he said. "But keeping kindergartens in their current mode as private institutions would be the most flexible way to cater to the interests of the people."
Cheng did not rule out the possibility of extending free education to 15 years, and his committee, set up in April, is looking at how it could be done, examining kindergartens' operations, possible options for government subvention, teachers' pay and teacher-pupil ratios. It is due to finish its study in two years.
Many educators believe there is no reason to reject the idea of government-run kindergartens, although this is not their priority when talking about realising free kindergartens.