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Police called to deal with kindergarten queue cheat complaints

Tempers rise in wait for application forms as local parents join fight for kindergarten places

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One Shenzhen mother was upset at not getting an application form for her daughter. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

The battle for places at kindergartens in North District is heating up, with police called in over complaints about disputes outside one school yesterday.

But when they arrived at Sheung Shui Wai Chow Kindergarten, where almost 1,000 parents were waiting, all was calm.

I'm really worried my child will have to go to a kindergarten far away. It's really unfair that I'm living here, but have to queue overnight just for an application form
Heidy Chan, local mother

Parents living in North District are joining the battle for preschool places, along with an increasing number of mainland parents, waiting for days outside local kindergartens for a limited number of application forms.

Many, as in Sheung Shui, are bringing bedding and stools. Police said people had complained about agents holding places in the queue for parents.

The school will give out the 900 forms this morning.

Heidy Chan Hau-yi, a 27-year-old Hong Kong housewife living in a nearby estate, started queuing around 10pm on Thursday for an application form for her two-year-old. She said it was quite chaotic at the beginning and she saw a local man beating a mainland woman with a little child for cutting into the queue.

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