Enrollment hits 89,000 for new school year, kindergarten sees decline

With summer vacation now over, the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) announced that approximately 80% of schools in Macau resumed classes yesterday, with the student population for this academic year totaling around 89,000, roughly in line with last year’s figures.

After inspecting the city’s Traffic Control and Information Center, Tong Nam School, and Our Lady of Fatima Girls’ School, Kong Chi Meng, director of the DSEDJ, addressed the media and characterized the first day back to school as “generally smooth.”

He attributed the positive outcome to several factors, including collaboration between different government entities, staggered school resumption days at some schools to ease congestion, the presence of extra police officers to ensure safety, and effective coordination with local public bus services.

Reportedly, on school resumption day yesterday, the city’s two public bus operators increased service during peak hours.

Transmac added 15% more trips during the morning and afternoon school rush, while also boosting staffing levels by approximately 10%, including drivers and station attendants. Meanwhile, TCM enhanced service on 23 routes serving schools, with an overall daily service increase expected to reach about 15%.

According to authorities, between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. yesterday, the two bus companies ran over 2,000 trips, a 10% increase from the same period during the summer holidays, carrying more than 123,000 passengers.

This year, the DSEDJ has preliminarily estimated that enrollment may reach approximately 89,000 students, closely aligning with last year’s figures.

“With the student population having peaked over the past two years, we expect numbers to stabilize around this level with minimal variation,” the director stated.

He noted a slight increase in secondary and primary school enrollment, while kindergarten enrollment has seen a slight decline.

These offsetting factors contribute to relatively stable overall student numbers. In his briefing to the media, he emphasized, “While Macau’s student population reached its peak in the past two years, I anticipate these numbers will stabilize moving forward.”

Earlier, Kong emphasized that schools have been instructed to remind students returning to Macau from other regions who are unwell to report to their schools and refrain from attending in order to prevent the spread of dengue fever and chikungunya.

As of yesterday, he referenced school reports indicating that only a small number of students were unable to return to school as scheduled due to fever and discomfort. However, he noted that further data collection is necessary to ascertain whether these cases are linked to the infections.

The director emphasized that the number of students unable to attend school is in the single digits, representing a low proportion that currently does not affect overall school operations.

According to him, the authorities have also initiated an emergency funding program through the Education Fund, with a total budget of several million dollars, allowing schools to purchase mosquito control equipment and conduct training for frontline personnel. “As a result, schools have essentially completed preventive measures against both types of fever before the start of the school year,” he stated.

Shuttle services for Hengqin-Macau students

Some students reportedly left early due to traffic concerns, while 65 cross-border students took chartered buses from the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin back to Macau for school.

The DSEDJ stated that over 100 Macau student residents currently live in Hengqin and require daily commutes between the two locations.

The In-depth Cooperation Zone authorities yesterday officially launched a shuttle service for Macau permanent residents enrolled in schools in both Hengqin and Macau, specifically targeting local students from fourth grade through high school.

The shuttle operates multiple routes, making stops in the Macau Peninsula, Taipa, Coloane, and within the Cooperation Zone, currently serving 27 schools in Macau.

“Through this shuttle service, students boarding in Hengqin can now travel across six distinct routes without needing to disembark at border checkpoints. Police officers conduct document checks onboard, ensuring fixed-point, predetermined-route transportation.

This allows students to safely return to school without exiting the vehicle,” noted Kong, who mentioned that 65 students have already signed up for the first batch of rides. Remaining spots will be available for online registration in mid-October for students in need, with plans to accept applications before each semester.

Kong described the service as “innovative,” expressing confidence that as more Macau residents move to Hengqin, the demand for shuttle services will increase.

The authorities have announced that during the trial period, the service will be free for students, with future fare mechanisms to be determined based on the actual needs of cross-border students between Hengqin and Macau.

The Public Security Police Force (PSP) has confirmed that all passengers must submit their information in advance before using the shuttle service. Additionally, a series of contingency plans have been established to address any potential emergencies that may arise during operations.

The Macau Customs Service (SA) informed the media that its officers will conduct random inspections of the student shuttle, utilizing a risk assessment strategy to streamline the inspection process and enhance clearance efficiency, thereby minimizing delays for traveling students.