Letters | Two reasons ‘improved’ childcare does not mean better childcare in Hong Kong

One of the key achievements of Carrie Lam’s administration so far has been on children’s affairs. At the structural level, the government finally heeded community appeals for a Commission on Children. At the policy level, it increased investment in primary and secondary education, launched a pilot scheme on social work service for pre-primary institutions and tried to improve childcare services. However, the proposed “improvement” of childcare services has greatly compromised its original achievement.

The so-called “improvement”, as proposed in a consultancy report, contradicts its policy objective. While the improvement aims at facilitating child development, the staffing ratio is a return to the standard of 1976 – that is, 1:6 for children aged under two. It neglected the better ratio of other developed countries (from 1:3 to 1:5), listed in the consultancy report submitted by the University of Hong Kong to the government, and the motion passed by the welfare panel of the Legislative Council requesting further enhancement to 1:3.5.