The impact and implication of Hong Kong pre-primary education voucher scheme

Hong Kong early childhood education runs in the private sector. In recent years, the government has implemented a number of policies to improve the quality of early childhood education. The Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme is one of important early childhood education policies in Hong Kong. The Scheme aims to improve the quality of early childhood education, by providing financial assistance to parents and upgrading teachers’ qualifications. However, this policy raised widespread awareness and debate amongst the stakeholders. This paper will discuss how the scheme affects different stakeholders and explores its way forward. The essay first provides a brief background of the scheme and Hong Kong’s early childhood setting. The latter part of the essay discusses how the scheme affects the various stakeholders, including: policy makers, early childhood education sectors, early childhood educators and parents. Finally, suggestions to improve the scheme are made.
香港學前教育一直以私營模式推行，近年，政府推行一連串的政策旨在改善幼教質素，學前教育學券制正是其中一項對學前教育的重要政策。學券制目的是改善幼教質素，提供家長資助及提昇幼教教師質素。同時，此政策引來不同持分者的回嚮。本文先提供學券制及香港學前教育的背景，其後討論此政策對不同持分者的影響及探討未來可改進的方向。 Copyright © 2012 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.