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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Education, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, at a media session after meeting the kindergarten sector today (February 5):
Reporter: (On the proposal to use the Certificate of Eligibility for the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) as a document confirming the acceptance of offer by kindergartens.) ... Secretary, why are you extending the voucher scheme to the entire Hong Kong when it is only a few districts which have the problem?
Secretary for Education: While we are talking about the original experience positively from the North District as well as the Tai Po area, and we believe that, after doing a lot of consultations, also the expressed views from other different districts as well as parents, we believe the best way to manage the whole thing is a territory-wide arrangement. That is the reason for extending that. And we believe the voucher scheme would be the best way to manage it. There is a concern about the privately run (non-PEVS) kindergartens that may not be able to participate and that is why at this meeting we do have representatives from the privately run associations of the kindergarten groups, and they will be getting together, and we will be working together with them so as to encourage them to work together with the whole group, to make it territory-wide.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Issued at HKT 14:23
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