Applications for the pre-primary education voucher scheme will open tomorrow. Parents wanting to receive the certificate of eligibility for the voucher before the 2008-09 school year should submit their application and supporting documents by May 31.

Eligible children born on or before December 31, 2005, and studying in nursery, lower and upper levels in the 2008-09 school year at local non-profit-making kindergartens charging a fee not exceeding $24,000 per student a year for half day and $48,000 for whole day are eligible to redeem the vouchers.

The amount of fee subsidy is $11,000 per eligible student in the 2008-09 school year. It will be gradually increased to $12,000, $14,000 and $16,000 in the 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years.

From the 2008-09 school year all newly enrolled students or students transferred to a new kindergarten can receive fee subsidy only if they are attending eligible local non-profit-making kindergartens.

Students already enrolled in private independent kindergartens eligible for voucher redemption as of the 2007-08 school year can continue to receive fee subsidy only if they continue their pre-primary education in the same kindergarten.

Application forms for the scheme and information leaflets will be available at district offices, post offices and regional education offices of the Education Bureau and the Student Financial Assistance Agency. They can also be downloaded from the bureau's website and the agency's website.

For scheme details and the list of kindergartens eligible for the scheme click here or call 2891 0088 or 2154 2130.