Education | DSEJ extends public schools’ timetable, parents unhappy with the change

Students of at least two local public schools will have their timetables extended for the new school year that commenced September 1.
The initiative by the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) will “reinforce the learning of the Portuguese and Chinese languages” said the bureau in response to a question from the Times.
The DSEJ added that the changes would apply to the Escola Primária Luso-Chinesa do Bairro Norte and in the Escola Primária Luso-Chinesa da Flora (Portuguese Section).
In the Bairro Norte School, one more period was added for the learning of a foreign language for the students from P1 to P6. At the Flora School, two periods were added for the students of the Portuguese section.
In addition, DSEJ also introduced “one more period [for] extracurricular activities (swimming class) in order to promote the interests of the students in participating in extra-curricular activities.”
Parents contacted by the Times expressed surprise and dissatisfaction with the measure, claiming it makes the students “stay too long in school.”
Although DSEJ also stated in its reply to the Times that “the schools will continue to provide extra support for the homework of students with special needs,” the Times found out that in at least one of the schools, the measure has already led to the suspension of extra support activities for students with special needs.
Although unmentioned by the DSEJ, the changes to the extracurricular activities are not restricted to public schools. All private institutions included in the free education network this year also had to comply with new regulations that make extracurricular activities mandatory for all students.
DSEJ has also reportedly instructed the Macau Portuguese School, which commenced its school year yesterday, to reserve two periods for  physical education classes and two periods for musical education, in addition to the mandatory extracurricular activities.  RM