The Education & Manpower Bureau says in making a final decision on the education voucher scheme, it will take into full consideration the interests of the majority of parents and students and society at large.

Secretary for Education & Manpower Professor Arthur Li today met 20 representatives from an alliance of private independent kindergartens to listen to their views again on the scheme.

After the meeting, Professor Li said it will be difficult for a new policy to be fully supported by all stakeholders involved, given their different backgrounds and concerns.

"What we want to emphasise is that public money should be spent on education in full. Any request for the Government to subsidise profit-making private independent kindergartens would be against this fundamental principle.

"Some parents who were invited by the kindergartens representatives to join today's meeting had a misconception that non-profit making kindergartens were inferior to private independent ones. I totally disagree and clarified such misunderstandings."

Kindergarten representatives will inform the bureau of their final position after further discussion amongst themselves.