Government-run preschools should not be part of the city’s 15 years of free education, the head of a committee on kindergarten operations has suggested.


Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi, chair of the Committee on Free Kindergarten Education, said children should go to kindergartens close to their homes, so it was therefore necessary to maintain the flexibility offered by the private sector.

"I firmly believe that it would be impossible for large-scale government-run kindergartens [to be built]," Cheng said. "For example, if there’s a new town being built … the need for kindergarten places increases."

Cheng, who is also the chairman of the Education Commission, said government planning would not be the best way to adapt to such situations. "The government can plan how many kindergarten places are needed per 10,000 or 1,000 people," he said. "But keeping kindergartens in their current mode as private institutions would be the most flexible way to cater to the interests of the people."

Cheng did not rule out the possibility of extending free education to 15 years, and his committee, set up in April, is looking at how it could be done, examining kindergartens’ operations, possible options for government subvention, teachers’ pay and teacher-pupil ratios. It is due to finish its study in two years.

Many educators believe there is no reason to reject the idea of government-run kindergartens, although this is not their priority when talking about realising free kindergartens.

Yung Hau-heung, the Professional Teachers’ Union’s early-childhood-education spokeswoman, said Cheng was being too "arbitrary" by definitely excluding public kindergartens from the agenda. She said there were such preschools across the world, including on the mainland and in Macau, and that in-depth research was needed to decide if public kindergartens were practicable in Hong Kong.

"Of course, we don’t tend to focus on government-run kindergartens. What we really want is for the government to realise free kindergartens as soon as possible, instead of making no progress on it," she said.

Education sector lawmaker Ip Kin-yuen said although no-one was currently asking for government-run kindergartens, it could be done if the government wanted to, as there were already public primary and secondary schools.

Meanwhile, about 100 parents from North District staged a rally in Sheung Shui yesterday to express their dissatisfaction with the government. They were demanding assurance that their children can study at kindergartens close to their homes, in light of the overwhelming number of mainland parents applying at schools in border areas.

Education minister Eddie Ng Hak-kim wrote on his blog yesterday that there were enough kindergarten places. He said the high demand from children of mainland parents was transitional and would decrease from 2016.

The interviews and personal stories is to attract readers. The real "advertisement" is the columns on the side written by reporters, how to invest, what to buy. Sometimes these are "sponsored".


That’s why I don’t read the Sunday papers. Many people read it and then feel "poorer."

jetsetter:

slmkhoo:

[quote=\"jetsetter\"]It's true...demand entails supply...sigh...but the assumption is teachers from good schs tend to set tougher questions to challenge the supposedly higher ability kids...just a thought when I walked past some HDB shops selling these ytd...

But do tough questions meant for high ability kids help average kids to do better? Assuming that average kids are the majority, I find it strange that so many want to buy top schools papers. I did for one child because she found most regular questions easy (actually I downloaded them free), but I won't for my other one. It would just over-stress her.

I'd want to hv a glance at the 'average' sch papers well, if vendors would sell them.

Another curiosity: Have u ever wondered who've been selling the top sch papers + answers to vendors? Parents, teachers or students from those schools?[/quote]Those school clerks?

unisim. quality of students there better. kaplan many rich foreign kids.

Actually coming from an all-boys school I think he will be a hero in the short-term. How he takes the public attention may affect him in his later life.


Last time the few friends who ‘did it’ at a very young age become like ‘consultants’.

Actually coming from an all-boys school I think he will be a hero in the short-term. How he takes the public attention may affect him in his later life.


Last time the few friends who ‘did it’ at a very young age become like ‘consultants’.

Imami:

phtthp:

[quote=\"janet_lee88\"] IF the girl had shut up, this would have been history.

she land herself in big trouble today, because she can't control her mouth. Else won't be in news.

Serious??? She let the cat out herself??? :yikes:[/quote]According to reports, she told a friend and a report was made.

Wanbao also say if corruption proven she may lose her law degree.

http://sporehallofshame.blogspot.sg/2012/07/darinne-ko-only-got-b-rating-from-prof.html

IMHO, 2.2K or 57K is really nothing to the govt. Let’s be realistic. They buy airplanes is billions. Even the minister official car also at least 180K (benz or volvo). This bike MSRP is $2250 I think should be easily able to get 2K flat.


Eat this type of money and get caught by CPIB is not worth it. The real big fishes are in the defence and IT contracts worth millions. That is where the big fishes swim.

Need to add that sexuality program starts for children as young as 11 years old until they are 18. If you not happy you can also pull your kid out of it.

MOE recently revamped its sexuality program.


\"One is that sexuality education aims to help students “practise abstinence before marriage, as it is the best protection against sexually-transmitted infections (STIs)… and unwanted pregnancies” as casual sex “can harm and hurt them (students) and their loved ones”.

Two is that, as a guiding principle, “specially-selected” teachers are trained to teach sexuality education, and these teachers are chosen because they “possess values that are aligned with MOE values in sexuality education”.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/moe%E2%80%99s-abstinence-message-sparks-debate.html

Some of this more liberal type are saying that there is danger in encouraging abstinence because children will end up feeling that sex and sexuality is something shameful and dangerous. They also say abstinence is no longer practical in Singapore.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/85339/sexuality-education-in-singapore-whose-values-are-we-teaching/

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/07/no-sex-before-marriage-says-moe/

http://asiancorrespondent.com/85339/sexuality-education-in-singapore-whose-values-are-we-teaching/

What is your say? Do you think abstinence should be the mainstay as long as heterosexual relations as the norm?

I think abstinence is relevant and should not discriminate against gays and lesbians.

Thanks.