VietNamNet Bridge – From this new school year, State-owned kindergartens in eight districts of HCMC will join a pilot program to admit babies from six months old rather than from 13-months as previously, heard a meeting between the city’s government and the committee of the National Assembly on Monday.

Trinh Ngoc Thach, deputy head of the National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children, is giving a speech at the meeting with the HCMC government on Monday

The eight districts include District 7, 12, Thu Duc, Tan Phu, Binh Tan, Binh Chanh, Cu Chi and Nha Be.

Since this new school year, there are two babysitters at each class in State-owned kindergartens in the city so as to better take care of children. There will also be a babysitter tasked with healthcare for the babies in each class.

Among 912 kindergartens operating in the city, 419 are State-owned ones while 58 others are foreign invested ones.

However, there are still 11 wards in the city without any State-owned kindergarten, and among them, three do not have land for construction of the pre-school.

The city has over 331,000 children attending kindergartens while its State-owned ones just meet 49% of the demand and the remainder is assumed by private facilities.

HCMC has the biggest number of private kindergartens with 36,000 babysitters working in the sector.

Hua Ngoc Thuan, vice chairman of the HCMC government, said that the city spends VND1,400 billion on the education sector each year.

Investors of school projects regardless of State-owned or private ones could borrow 70% of investment capital and do not have to pay interest in a maximum period of seven years based on Decision 38/2013 issued by the city on September 23 last year, he added.

Individuals and organizations investing in education projects should not be considered as enterprises so as to enjoy tax incentives, Thuan said.

The city is seeking approval from the Government to cut 50% of land use fee for schools in its inner districts and remove land use fee for schools in outlying districts.

SGT/VNN