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The Education Bureau (EDB) today (April 29) announced that the Bureau has finalised the details of the "Admission Arrangements for K1 Places in Kindergartens (KGs) for the 2015/16 School Year" (2015/16 K1 Admission Arrangements). The related circular memorandum to all KGs joining the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) was also issued today.
A spokesman for the EDB said, "The EDB conducted various consultation meetings with the KG sector and stakeholders concerned between February and March this year and our proposed arrangements were generally supported.
"We hope that the arrangements can facilitate the smooth operation of the admission process for KGs and enable them to settle early the manpower arrangements for the next school year, as well as help parents confirm early a kindergarten place for their child, thereby releasing vacant places to other children who have yet to secure a KG place and relieving the worries of parents.
"We also thank the KG sector and stakeholders concerned for all their valuable views and advice in order to improve the 2015/16 K1 admission arrangements."
The related procedures and details are as follows (flowchart at Annex 1):
* The "2015/16 K1 Admission Arrangements" are applicable to parents of children applying for K1 places in KGs for 2015/16 school year and all KGs joining PEVS;
* Parents are required to apply to the Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) for "Assessment of Eligibility for PEVS 2015/16" in July or August 2014. Eligible students will be issued a "Certificate of Eligibility for the PEVS" for 2015/16 (the 2015/16 voucher) in November 2014;
* Parents should enquire from KGs about their school-based admission mechanism, including the procedure, criteria, interview arrangements, application fee, etc. They should obtain an application form and submit the application for admission in accordance with the requirements as specified by individual KGs. KGs should also inform parents of the mechanism in advance via effective means, for example, guidance notes of application forms, school admission guide/pamphlets, school websites, etc;
* KGs will inform parents the application result before the end of December 2014;
* Upon receipt of notification(s) of admission, parents should, after careful consideration, choose one KG for registration. They are required to submit the 2015/16 voucher and pay the registration fee at the KG to complete the registration procedure between January 22 and 24, 2015 (i.e. the "central registration dates"). This measure is to avoid the hoarding of more than one place by an applicant at any one time, which may affect other applicants; and
* The EDB will release K1 vacancy information from early February 2015 onwards (i.e. after the "central registration dates"). If necessary, parents may obtain the information via the EDB website, Regional Education Offices and hotline.
The spokesman added, "As the 2015/16 voucher will also be used for enrolment registration for K1 in that school year, parents of children applying for K1 places in KGs for 2015/16 school year are required to apply to the SFAA for "Assessment of Eligibility for PEVS 2015/16" in July or August 2014 so that eligible students can obtain the 2015/16 voucher in a timely way for registration purposes.
"If an applicant is admitted after the central registration dates, he/she is still required to submit the 2015/16 voucher for enrolment registration. If an applicant wishes to change school after registering with a KG, he/she is required to obtain the 2015/16 voucher from the KG with which he/she originally registered. Upon obtaining the 2015/16 voucher from a KG, the KG concerned will no longer keep the place for the student. Normally, the registration fee paid to the KG with which the student originally registered will not be refunded.
"The understanding and co-operation of parents is vital to the smooth implementation of the admission arrangements. As such, we will organise 25 identical seminars (Annex 2) for parents in mid May and end June to explain the arrangements in detail and answer parents' questions. Parents may enroll by email or fax via EDB webpage at www.edb.gov.hk/parentstalks_e, and they may obtain the application form by fax via the EDB's hotline at 2891 0088."
The Education Bureau will also organise four briefing sessions for all KGs (including PEVS and non-PEVS KGs) in mid May so as to familiarise KGs the implementation details of the 2015/16 K1 Admission Arrangements. All KGs should send representatives to attend. Details have been uploaded to the EDB's training calendar.
Ends/Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:02
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