Education | DSEJ intends to penalize parents of school dropouts

The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) intends to introduce penalties into the compulsory education regime for parents who are considered responsible for their children dropping out of school.
The bureau’s Department of Education head Ms Leong Vai Kei explained on Saturday on the sidelines of a community promotional activity that the authorities regularly track down students who have dropped out of school by posting letters and visiting homes. However, there are dozens of cases where the bureau cannot contact the students’ guardians.
Ms Leong stressed that parents are obliged to ensure their children’s right to schooling; therefore, the bureau intends to penalize guardians who don’t fulfill their responsibilities, as a possible measure to handle the issue of school dropouts when revising the law on the compulsory education system.
The official also responded to the recent complaint against the Macao Sam Yuk Middle School, in which expelled students were encouraged to make donations and participate in a charity trip to Sichuan, in return for a second chance to stay in school. Leong said a misunderstanding was caused by the school’s administrative documents and that the school has decided to refund the involuntary donations.