Hong Kong unions call for free full-day kindergarten

The government's free kindergarten policy should cover full-day kindergartens, not just half-day programmes, as demand for these institutions has been increasing even as they grow unaffordable, the Federation of Trade Unions said yesterday.

According to official figures, the full-day enrolment rate in the 2014-15 school year was 97 per cent, much higher than 86 per cent for half-day programmes.

The median tuition fee for full-day programmes was HK$37,700 per year, a 26 per cent rise from HK$30,000 in 2010-11.

But the government's vouchers, valued at HK$20,010 a year and issued to parents to cover kindergarten fees, are not enough to cover the rising cost, and only half of families with children at full-day kindergartens have successfully applied for further tuition fee subsidies.

"The government has very insufficient support for families with children at full-day kindergartens," federation lawmaker Tang Ka-piu said at a news conference. "The current full-day kindergartens have almost reached saturation point. It's difficult for parents to devote [themselves to] their work and for the government to release more labour force potential."

Tang added that the federation conducted a survey in January, in which more than 90 per cent of the 10,805 respondents said the government should cover full-day programmes in its free kindergarten policy.