I REFER to the allegation by Ms Ida Lee (South China Morning Post, February 15) that the Education Department has not acted on the Report by the Ad Hoc Sub-committee on Pre-primary Education of the Board of Education (April 1994). This is not true and I would like to clarify any misunderstanding Ms Lee may have on this matter. The Board of Education made a number of recommendations: The board recommended that unification of pre-primary services should be a long-term goal and that improvement measures for kindergarten education should not be delayed by any attempt to unify pre-primary services. The Working Party on Kindergarten Education chaired by the Deputy Directors of Education and Social Welfare and strengthened by the addition of members from the child care sector was reconvened to look specifically into the practicalities of unification. At the first meeting of the working party held on February 24, members agreed that unification of pre-primary services in Hong Kong should be pursued within a practicable administrative and resource context and on the basis that unification does not mean that all aspects of operation for kindergartens and child care centres should necessarily be identical. The Working Party also agreed to synthesise the curriculum of kindergartens and child care centres. It will examine other issues such as training, pay and qualifications soon. The board recommended that the minimum academic requirement for kindergarten teachers should be raised. The Governor in his 1994 Policy Address announced that from September 1995, the Government will raise the minimum qualification for kindergarten teachers from completion of Secondary 3 to completion of Secondary 5 with at least two passes in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education examination. A circular has been issued by the Education Department to all kindergartens to this effect. The board recommended that kindergartens should be required to have a percentage of trained teachers. The Governor announced in the 1994 Policy Address that kindergartens would be required to employ at least 40 per cent trained teachers as from September 1995 and it is our intention to further improve this trained teacher percentage in the future. The board recommended enhanced teacher training. The Government has allocated $163 million over the next four years to the Hong Kong Institute of Education to pay for enhanced in-service and pre-service training for kindergarten teachers. The board recommended that additional government financial assistance should be given to kindergartens. The Government's assistance to non-profit-making kindergartens under the existing rent and rates reimbursement scheme and to needy parents under the kindergarten fee remission scheme has increased steadily over the years. As regards the issue of direct subsidy to kindergartens, this is being considered by the Administration. An Education Department Working Group to Review Kindergarten Education was formed to consider possible options including the recommendation made by the Board of Education. The working group considered that any subsidy scheme must meet the following criteria: firstly, the scheme should directly or indirectly enhance the quality of kindergarten education; secondly, the scheme should include proper government controls on the use of government funds; and thirdly, the scheme should be simple to administer. Subject to policy and funding approval, it remains the Government's intention to introduce a subsidy scheme to eligible kindergartens with effect from September, 1995. Ms Lee may wish to know that the Education Department has taken the following action, apart from taking forward as far as possible the recommendations of the Board of Education: (i) The Education Department prepared and issued a Guide to the Kindergarten Curriculum to all kindergartens in 1993; and (ii) The Education Department is stepping up inspections to kindergartens to give positive advice and guidance on improving teaching performance and implementation of the kindergarten curriculum. We share Ms Lee's concern for the need to enhance the quality of kindergarten education in Hong Kong and hope that this letter will reassure her that action is being taken where appropriate. ELAINE CHUNG for Director of Education