Schools not following DSEJ special instructions, claims Sulu Sou

Lawmaker Sulu Sou (middle right) and New Macau Association President Kam Sut Leng (middle left)

Contrary to the instructions issued by the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ), that education during the Covid-19 outbreak should focus on revision, some schools are testing their students, lawmaker Sulu Sou has said.

The education regulator has repeatedly stated that despite the special school suspension, education can be conducted through online channels. The special school suspension period will count as school days, eliminating the need to shorten the summer holiday in compensation for the lost time.

Later, the Bureau issued an instruction that “classes” conducted during the suspension period should focus on revision rather than teaching students new knowledge.

Afterwards, the education bureau stressed that although students should be revising, no tests or examinations should be conducted in any form during the outbreak.

All of these instructions were given so that schools would not be pressured to make progress in their teaching plans, as is stipulated in the legal Curriculum Framework and the Basic Knowledge Requirement.

However, Sou obtained information that a secondary school had arranged an online English test for its students. Meanwhile, a primary school has assigned its students a worksheet on an untaught chapter.

The lawmaker found discrepancies between the government’s instructions and the actual implementation. The finding was noted right after Sou’s meeting with the education regulator.

On February 11, in a meeting with the DSEJ, the lawmaker presented complaints that the bureau’s requirements had increased the burden on educators.

The DSEJ, in response, stressed that the brief school suspension period does not pose an enormous threat to a student’s 15-year education. They should utilize this opportunity to educate themselves about epidemic prevention measures.

The education regulator also instructed schools to continue with the legally stipulated curriculum into the following term or semester.

Extracurricular competitions have also been affected by the outbreak. The DSEJ has postponed many, with others cancelled. It will continue to monitor the situation in order to evaluate suitable dates for their commencement. AL