SINGAPORE: Parents of Singaporean pre-schoolers will get 50 per cent off their nett school fees for a month, for children who are not attending classes during the "circuit breaker" period.
"The offset will be effected from the May 2020 invoice for parents," said the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) in a joint news release on Monday (Apr 6).
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe 50 per cent fee offset applies to parents' out-of-pocket fees, after the deduction of the S$300 basic subsidy.
MSF had said on Saturday that the Government will not mandate the refund of pre-school fees during the closure from Apr 8 to May 4.
However, authorities have reviewed the situation, with Monday's announcement of additional support for workers, businesses and households in the Solidarity Budget revealed by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.
Under the Solidarity Budget – the third booster amid the COVID-19 situation – the Government will enhance the Jobs Support Scheme by raising the wage subsidy for all firms to 75 per cent of gross monthly wages, for the first S$4,600 of wages paid in April 2020, for each local employee.
AdvertisementAdvertisement“In ordinary circumstances, preschools, KCare operators, student care centres (SCCs), special student care centres (SSCCs) and Early Intervention (EI) service providers would find it difficult to offer such fee offsets given the need to sustain wages for staff and other operating costs,” MSF and MOE said.
“However, these are exceptional times and we have reviewed the situation.
“With further Government support given under the latest Solidarity Budget, as well as MSF’s and ECDA’s (Early Childhood Development Agency) continued payment of pre-school and student care fee subsidies, with the automatic waiver of minimum attendance for eligibility for subsidies, all pre-schools, KCare, SCC and SSCC operators and EI service providers should offer fee offsets for the circuit breaker period.”
Pre-school anchor operators and MOE kindergartens will announce their fee offsets later on Monday.
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