| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立屏東大學 === 幼兒教育學系碩士班 === 103 === This study investigated the current situation of early childhood subsidy policies implemented in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. The objectives were to determine the cognition, perception, and perspectives of early childhood educators toward such policies. Furthermore, differences in the cognition, perception, and perspectives of early childhood educators who possess different demographic backgrounds were also analyzed. This study conducted a questionnaire survey of 928 teachers from public and private preschools in Kaohsiung City by using the following research instrument: Investigation of Subsidy Policy for Early Childhood Education: Using Kaohsiung as an Example. The collected data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics, t test, and one-way analysis of variance. The findings of this study are presented as follows:
1.Early childhood education subsidy policies currently enacted in Kaohsiung City comprised the following 5 items: subsidy for Kaohsiung early childhood education and care; preschool education subsidy for mid- and low-level income households; private and public preschool tuition subsidy for indigenous children; child-care allowance; children nursery allowance; and tuition exemption plan for five years-old children. In particular, the tuition exemption plan for five years-old children comprised two items: tuition exemption subsidy and added subsidy for social vulnerable groups.
2. Among the surveyed teachers, more than 70% of them were cognitively aware of the following aspects of the current subsidy policies for early childhood education: content, category of children and disadvantaged children, methods of distinguishing between low-income and mid- to low-income households, and the subsidy amount. Moreover, more than 60% of the surveyed teachers were cognitively aware of the application procedures, subsidy providers, and subsidy policies in Kaohsiung, whereas only 59% of the teachers were cognitively aware of the subsidy payment procedures.
3.Among the surveyed teachers, more than 90%, 35%–80%, 50%–95%, and 50%–65% of them respectively identified with the “preschool administrative work;” “preschool management effect;” “fairness and justice;” and “finance and education policy” dimensions of the current subsidy policies.
4.Of the surveyed teachers, 51%–83% of the surveyed teachers identified with the “subsidy for Kaohsiung early childhood education and care” dimension of the current subsidy policies.
5.The following background variables significantly influenced the teachers’ cognition toward the currently implemented subsidy policies for early childhood education: age, years of work experience in teaching or management, educational attainment, their profession, experience in handling related matters, work duties, channel through which they acquired information, school category, school scale, personnel who handled related matters, school location, and the educational attainment and socioeconomic status of parents of students by school or class.
6.The following background variables significantly influenced the teachers’ level of identification with the “preschool administrative work” dimension of the currently implemented subsidy policies for early childhood education: age, experience in handling related matters, work duties, school category, school scale, school location, and the educational attainment of parents of students by school or class.
7.The following background variables significantly influenced the teachers’ level of identification with the “preschool management effect” dimension of the currently implemented subsidy policies for early childhood education: age, years of work experience in teaching or management, their profession, experience in handling related matters, work duties, school category, school scale, personnel who handled related matters, and school location.
8.The following background variables significantly influenced the teachers’ level of identification with the “fairness and justice” dimension of the currently implemented subsidy policies for early childhood education: age, years of work experience in teaching or management, experience in handling related matters, work duties, personnel who handled related matters, and school location.
9.Teachers who access information from different channels identified with the “finance and education policy” dimension of the current subsidy policies significantly differently.
10.The following background variables significantly influenced the teachers’ level of identification with the “appropriateness” of the “subsidy for Kaohsiung early childhood education and care” policy: age, years of work experience in teaching or management, educational attainment, work duties, personnel who handled related matters, and school location.
11.The following background variables significantly influenced the teachers’ level of identification with the “fairness and justice” of “subsidy for Kaohsiung early childhood education and care” policy: age, years of work experience in teaching or management, educational attainment, experience in handling related matters, work duties, school scale, and personnel who handled related matters.
12.The following background variables significantly influenced the teachers’ level of identification with the “exclusion of the wealthy clause” in the “subsidy for Kaohsiung early childhood education and care” policy: channel through which they acquired information, school category, personnel who handled related matters, school location, and the educational attainment and socioeconomic status of parents of students by school or class.
13.The following background variables significantly influenced the teachers’ level of identification with the beneficial effects (reduces financial burden and increases school attendance rate) of the subsidy for Kaohsiung early childhood education and care” policy: gender, age, years of work experience in teaching or management, experience in handling related matters, work duties, school category, personnel who handled related matters, and school location.
14.The following background variables significantly influenced the teachers’ level of identification with the “government’s financial burden” dimension of the “subsidy for Kaohsiung early childhood education and care” policy: gender, age, years of work experience in teaching or management, work duties, personnel who handled related matters, and school location.
15.The perspectives of the surveyed teachers regarding the future implementation of early childhood education subsidy policies are as follows. Their perspectives in a positive sense included “reduces parents’ financial burdens” and “increases the attendance rate of preschool children;” in a negative sense, the perspectives included “children who are really in need might not receive the subsidy” and “expanding the scope of subsidies and raising the subsidy amount cause social chaos.” The teachers believed that future implementations should center on “stringently and truthfully confirming the identity of applicants,” “simplifying application processes,” and “increasing promotional efforts.” Lastly, “incorporating early childhood education into compulsory education” facilitates effective use of funds.
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