The Education & Manpower Bureau says it will not set up a remuneration system for kindergarten teachers, but welcomes the kindergarten sector's initiative to establish its own salary scale or make reference to the existing one.

During a meeting with representatives from a number of kindergarten organisations today, Secretary for Education & Manpower Prof Arthur Li listened to their views on the introduction of education vouchers and their concerns over kindergarten teachers' salaries.

All the representatives accepted the five basic principles announced by the Government earlier. They are:　

* Only non-profit-making kindergartens can redeem education vouchers to ensure all public money will be spent on education;

* Kindergartens most improve their quality and meet the prescribed standards within five years, after which substandard kindergartens will no longer be subsidised;

* The school fee must not exceed $24,000 a year for half-day kindergartens or $48,000 for whole-day kindergartens;

* Kindergartens must enhance their transparency, disclosing to the public information on accounts, and teachers' qualifications and salaries; and

* The Government will not set up a remuneration system for kindergarten teachers, but welcomes the sector's initiative to establish its own salary scale for teachers.

The representatives unanimously supported the Government's package for education vouchers in totality and called on the bureau to seek funding approval from the Finance Committee as soon as practicable.