The city’s education bureau has ordered the under-scrutiny Portuguese School of Macau (EPM) to check its deployment of staff complies with labor laws and its contracts with teachers.
This comes as controversy hit the school after the termination of contracts of 12 teachers, sparking shock and indignation among the faculty, parents and the Portuguese community, though EPM’s director has rejected claims of a “restructuring process” and has cited management reasons for the decision.
In a press statement yesterday, the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) said that it “has been in continuous communication with the school.”
The statement comes after the bureau visited the school late last week.
“The bureau understands that the Portuguese School regularly communicates with the Ministry of Education of Portugal regarding the arrangement of staff assignments,” the bureau said.
“The DSEDJ will continue to monitor the implementation of the school’s curriculum and the allocation of teachers to ensure that they meet the requirements in terms of the number of courses and the necessary qualifications, with particular emphasis on the approval of teaching personnel qualifications.”
Every year, there is normal staff mobility in schools due to retirements and transfers and schools hire suitable teaching staff according to their development and needs.
The DSEDJ said all private schools must comply with relevant laws and guidelines when hiring or arranging staff. Before the start of the new school year, the bureau conducts a strict review to ensure schools have enough teachers.
Last week, school management called EPM teachers to a “personal meeting” where they were told their employment relationship with the school would be renewed.
The school ended the contracts of three teachers in the Portuguese department. All three hold permanent resident cards and are in Macau under a special license from Portugal.
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