Briefs | Chan Meng Kam opposes prohibition on banners

Lawmaker Chan Meng Kam expressed his opposition towards the proposal to ban lawmakers from displaying posters and banners at the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) plenary meetings. Chan asked, “What is the problem with displaying [banners] to the government officials?” Moreover, he remarked that these methods help lawmakers to explain themselves better, and that displaying banners do not affect the solemnity of AL meetings.

DSEJ accused of unfair treatment of therapists

The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) has been accused of treating its hired therapists unfairly, according to a report by TDM. DSEJ has issued a statement denying the accusation and emphasizing that the bureau places high importance on all therapists working in local special needs education. According to DSEJ, the bureau has hired therapists for its own special needs education and therapy consultation centers, as well as for public schools. In total, there are five speech therapists, six occupational therapists and five physical therapists.

New rules for tuition centers being drafted

The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) will start drafting rules for private tuition and related after-school services by the end of this year. According to TDM, there are around 80 centers in Macau providing private tuition and after-school care services but only 30 are properly registered with a tutorial license. The head of DSEJ’s Continuing Education Department, Kong Ngai, told TDM that there are grey areas in the current law, in which many private tutoring and childcare services are not properly regulated. He added that when the new law comes into effect, these tutorial centers will need to obtain licenses. The new law aims to regulate the education level of individual service providers and have requirements regarding tutorial spaces. Officials say that once the law comes into effect, service providers will have two years to meet the new requirements.

FSS introduces new fund system to gambling enterprises

The Social Security Fund (FSS) has introduced the contents of the “Non-Mandatory Central Provident Fund System” to representatives of the six gambling enterprises in Macau. The Vice-President of the Administrative Committee of the FSS, Chan Pou Wan recently had a meeting with the heads of legal affairs, human resources and financial departments of major gambling enterprises at the headquarters of the FSS. The meeting focused on topics such as the interface between the private pension fund and the central provident fund, protection for the gambling enterprises and employees’ rights and interests under the new system, and the practical operations of the system. The FSS hopes to deepen the gambling enterprises’ understanding of the new law in order to facilitate their voluntary participation into the non-mandatory central provident fund system.

UM’s science summer camp begins

The University of Macau’s (UM) Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) recently held an opening ceremony for its Summer Camp 2017. According to a press release from the university, the event attracted over 100 people, including local secondary school teachers, students and their parents. Dean of FST, Philip Chen, stated at the opening ceremony that the camp aims to help participants discover their interests and potential in science and technology and to improve their organizational skills and teamwork. Chen added that this year’s camp attracted 140 students from 26 secondary schools. He encouraged young people to keep dreaming and learning about science. This year’s six summer camps will cover various topics, such as civil engineering, 3D reconstruction with quadcopters, and robot and artificial intelligence.