Kindergarten enrolment a picture of calm
New ban on applying to more than one school eases anxieties at Sheung Shui kindergarten
Parents in North District and Tai Po were in no hurry to register their children at kindergartens that had accepted them, as a four-day registration period began yesterday.
Their leisurely approach contrasted markedly with the rush that often prevailed before the government introduced new rules preventing parents from accepting a place at more than one kindergarten.
In previous years, parents exacerbated the shortage of kindergarten places by registering their children at several schools and making last-minute choices. The practice intensified the scramble for places caused by an influx of cross-border pupils.
A teacher at Sheung Shui Wai Chow Kindergarten said 68 out of 120 children it admitted completed the admission procedures on the first day. "Parents are relieved after securing places for their children, so they are not in a hurry to register," she said.
The new admission system was introduced in November in the two districts bordering Shenzhen. Parents had to choose their school in a four-day period last month.
Parents can sign up at only one of the kindergartens that offer to take in their children, before completing the registration procedures.
The teacher said none of the pupils admitted to her preschool violated the rules by signing up for more than one place.
