XN000022-1986-03-19 — Page 58

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1786

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COMPULSORY EDUCATION POLICY CLOSELY MONITORED

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THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NINE-YEAR FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION POLICY IS CLOSELY MONITORED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO ENSURE THAT ALL CHILDREN IN THIS AGE GROUP WILL ATTEND SCHOOL, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON NEIL HENDERSON, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HO RITA FAN,

MR HENDERSON SAID A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, COMPUTERSED PUPIL RECORD SYSTEM WAS BEING CONSIDERED TO HELP IDENTIFY PUPILS NOT ATTENDING SCHOOL, WHILE THE STUDENT GUIDANCE SECTION WAS BEING STRENGTHENED TO FURTHER IMPROVE AND SPEED THE HANDLING OF NON-ATTENDANCE CASES.

AT PRESENT, MR HENDERSON SAID, SCHOOLS WERE REQUIRED TO REPORT ALL NEW PUPILS ADMITTED AND ALL PUPILS WHO CEASED TO ATTEND WITHOUT REASONABLE EXCUSE FOR MORE THAN 14 DAYS.

THE NUMBER OF REPORTED CASES OF NON-ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL BY CHILDREN BETWEEN 12 AND 14 YEARS OF AGE DURING THE SCHOOL YEARS 1983-85 WAS 8 430, COMPRISING 3 165 IN 1983-84, 3 485 IN 1984-85 AND 1 780 IN 1985-JANUARY 86, HE POINTED OUT.

+ IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE FIGURE RELATE TO THE NUMBER OF INCIDENTS OF NON-ATTENDANCE RATHER THAN THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN INVOLVED, SO THAT A DEGREE OF DOUBLE-COUNTING IS POSSIBLE, HE SAID.

HE SAID REPORTED CASES COULD BE CLASSIFIED INTO THREE GROUPS: THOSE REQUIRING NO FURTHER ACTION BECAUSE THE CHILDREN INVOLVED HAD EMIGRATED OR WERE ADMITTED TO OTHER SCHOOLS; THOSE WHO RETURNED TO SCHOOL AFTER ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE AND THOSE WHO MIGHT BE CLASSIFIED AS DROPOUTS.

THOSE DROPPING OUT OF THE COMPULSORY EDUCATION SYSTEM WERE A RELATIVELY SMALL ELEMENT IN THE TOTAL, ACCOUNTING FOR SOME SEVEN TO EIGHT PER CENT OF CASES OVER THE PAST TWO ACADEMIC YEARS, MR HENDERSON EXPLAINED.

AND LACK OF MOTIVATION, HE SAID, WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FACTOR FOR SCHOOL DROPOUTS.

TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM, GUIDANCE OFFICERS CONTACTED THE FAMILIES OF THESE PUPILS TO ASCERTAIN THE REASON FOR NON-ATTENDANCE AND TC EXPLAIN THEIR LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY, MR HENDERSON SAID.

CASES ARISING FROM FAMILY OR FINANCIAL PROBLEMS WERE REFERRED TO THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, WHILE CASES WHICH RESULTED FROM LEARNING DIFFICULTY WERE REFERRED TO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR REMEDIAL ASSISTANCE, HE ADDED.

+WHERE NON-ATTENDANCE