Kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres (hereafter collectively referred to as “KG”) which are registered with the Education Bureau, provide services for children from three to six years old. At present, the majority of kindergartens operate on a semi-day basis, and offer lower and upper kindergartens, as well as nursery school classes. Some kindergartens provide full-day classes, too. The goal of kindergarten education at Hong Kong is to nurture children to develop in the areas of ethics, intelligence physical, aesthetics, and social skills and to build positive habits that help them prepare for their future and to increase children’s interest to learn and develop positive attitudes towards learning in them to help establish the foundations for their future education.
Current Situation
The majority of kindergartens within Hong Kong are privately run and are classified in two categories: non-profit making (NPM) Kindergartens (KGs) as well as private independent (PI) kindergartens, based on their sponsors, which could be voluntary organizations or private businesses. Kindergartens are all licensed as part of the Education Ordinance. The inspectors of the Education Bureau visit kindergartens regularly to provide counsel to teachers and principals regarding curriculum, teaching methods as well as school management. This Operation Manual (January 2023 Version 3) for pre-primary Schools (January 2023, Version 3) written in collaboration with the Education Bureau and the Social Welfare Department is a guide for potential school administrators with the essential information about the legal requirements and guidelines regarding the management of kindergartens.
Kindergartens differ greatly in their size as well as the amount of rooms that could vary from two to more than 10. They can however provide a stimulating educational environment that is able to accommodate the interests of children and their lives through the establishment of various activities centers. For instance, there might be a Reading Corner, Mathematics Corner, Nature Corner, Art and Crafts Corner, Music Corner, Home Corner etc. These centers are equipped with teaching aids to help students learn by themselves.
Every child in Hong Kong, irrespective of their nationality, are eligible for financial assistance for fees under the Child Care and Kindergarten Fee Remission Scheme, as when they are younger than six years old, are enrolled in child care or kindergartens centers, and satisfy other requirements set out by the plan. The details can be found on this website, which is run by the Student Finance Office (SFO) of the Working Family and Student Financial Assistant Agency.
Curriculum
In light of the shifts in the world and the changing needs of children in the present, The Curriculum Development Council (CDC) reviewed”Guide to the Pre-primary Curriculum “Guide on the Pre-primary Curriculum” (2006) and recommended the key elements to enhance the curriculum for kindergarten.
“Kindergarten Education Curriculum Guide” (2017) is based on the premise of”Guide to the Pre-primary Curriculum” (2006) “Guide to Pre-primary Education” (2006) It also and adopts “child-centredness” to be our fundamental value, and adheres to the fundamental concept that of “Understanding as well as respecting distinct development patterns of each child.”
The Kindergarten Education curriculum focuses on five goals for development, which include “Moral Development”, “Cognitive and Language Development”, “Physical Development”, “Affective and Social Development” and “Aesthetic Development”, with an aim of achieving development of the five areas of ethics and morality, physique social skills, and aesthetics. The five goals of development are to be met through six learning areas including “Physical fitness and Health”, “Language”, “Early Childhood Mathematics”, “Nature and Living”, “Self and Society” and “Arts and Creativity” All learning is based on “Values as well as Attitudes”, “Skills” and “Knowledge” and ensures the development of a holistic and balanced in children using methods such as “Real-life themes”, “Integrated Approach” and “Learning through Play”.
Qualifications for Teachers and Statutory Requirements
The minimum academic qualification to teach kindergarteners is five marks, which includes at least Chinese and English in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) (HKCEE) or Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination with no more than two examinations.
Since September 2003 the kindergarten teachers must be Qualified Kindergarten Teachers (QKT) certificate or equivalent. Refer to EDBC No. 28/2003 for details.
Since the 2003/04 All kindergartens must meet the ratio of 1:15 or less.
Since the introduction of the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS) starting in the 2007/08 school term, direct cost subsidy for parents and in addition, financial assistance to teachers’ professional development were provided.
All principals who are new to the 2009/10 school years should be able to demonstrate an education diploma from ECE [BEd(ECE)and one-year post-qualification and have completed an accredited certificate course in principalship before or in the first year of their appointment.
Beginning with the school year 2012/13 kindergartens in the supervision of PEVS must employ a the required number of teachers with C(ECE) Certificate in Early Childhood Education [C(ECE)qualification that are based on the teacher-to ratio of 1:15.
A Comprehensive Program for children with mild disabilities
Some Hong Kong kindergarten-cum-child care centres have joined the “Integrated Programme” to provide intensive training and care to mildly disabled children aged 3-6. Through the programme children will be prepared for regular education they will receive in the near future. For more information, visit the official website that is maintained by the Social Welfare Department.
Primary One-Admission System
Every child in Hong Kong who have reached the age of 8 months or more (as on the 1st day of September) are eligible to take part within the Primary One Admission System, in the event that they are not admitted into one of Hong Kong’s primary school at the moment. The children will be assigned to the primary one of a public or an assisted primary school. The goal of the System is to lessen the pressure that young children face as due to the high competition for primary places , and the negative impact it can impact the kindergarten curriculum. Parents must complete an application form and state their preference for schools in preferred order. It is the Education Bureau would input the information into the computer. Then, the primary school will be allocated for each child based on the preferences that is indicated on the application form. Every child who joins the System will receive admission to primary school in a state-run or assisted primary school.
Steps forward
To help kindergartens perform self-evaluation on a continuous basis The Education Bureau has implemented the upgraded Quality Assurance Framework beginning with this year’s school term. Kindergartens and the public can be referred to as the performance indicators (Kindergartens) to evaluate the quality and standards of the kindergartens. An all-new cycle of Quality Review has started in the same year of school to increase the growth of a high-quality kindergarten education in Hong Kong.