Authorities to stop awarding pre-school sites in HDB estates based solely on highest bid

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http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/pre-school-sites-wont-just-go-highest-bidder-20130415

In a bid to keep pre-school education affordable, the authorities will stop awarding sites in Housing Board estates to private pre-school operators based solely on the highest bid.

Instead, they will also consider the quality of the programmes offered by the operators and the kind of fees they intend to charge.

The current system of awarding sites, including those in HDB void decks, to the highest bidders, has led to a bidding war among private pre-school operators. This has driven up the costs of pre-school education as the operators tend to pass on the increased costs to parents by raising fees.

To rein in the problem, the authorities will consider factors other than the bid amount when awarding sites to private operators. The change, to be implemented in the next few months, is among the first steps taken by the new Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to address key issues facing the sector.