Ref : EDB(NAC)/40/5/1/O Pt 1 Government of the HKSAR
Education Bureau
6 January 2009
Education Bureau Circular No. 1/2009 Upholding Students’ Right to Education
[ Note : This circular should be read by(a) Heads of all Primary and Secondary Schools, excluding ESF and International Schools, for necessary action; and (b) Heads of Sections for information. ]
SUMMARY
This circular reminds schools of the importance of upholding students’ right to education. Schools have to reinforce and step up measures for assuring students’ regular attendance and to follow strictly the requirements of reporting to the Education Bureau (EDB) all student dropouts and departures, regardless of their age and class level. Schools are also required to admit dropouts who are ready for schooling, as long as there are existing vacancies. This circular supersedes EDB Circular No. 11/2006 dated 27 October 2006 on
“Upholding Students’ Right to Education” and EDB Circular No. 87/1997 dated 24 December 1997 on “Expulsion and Suspension of Pupils”.
BACKGROUND
2. Students admitted to the primary and secondary levels should normally be allowed to complete their education in the same school. Heads of schools have a fundamental responsibility to uphold students’ right to education.
3. The Government provides 9-year free and universal basic education to children aged between 6 and 15. As stipulated under Sections 74 and 78 of the Education Ordinance (Cap 279)1, parents have the legal responsibility to ensure that their children within these ages attend schools regularly. Schools, as providers of formal basic education to students, should share the responsibility of motivating students to learn through meaningful school activities and laying down a clear policy on school attendance, which should be clearly communicated to students, parents, teachers and the Student Guidance Officer (SGO) / Student Guidance Teacher (SGT) / Student Guidance Personnel (SGP) / School Social Worker (SSW) and effectively implemented.
1 Section 74 of the Education Ordinance (Cap 279) empowers the Permanent Secretary for Education to issue attendance orders to parents who fail to send their children to school without reasonable excuses. Section 78 stipulates that any parent, who without reasonable excuses, fails to comply with an attendance order shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine at Level 3 ($10,000) and to imprisonment for 3 months.
4. Starting from the 2008/09 school year, the Government has extended free education to include senior secondary education provided by public sector secondary schools. The beneficiaries will include students pursuing Secondary 4 to Secondary 7 under the current secondary school structure and students under the New Senior Secondary (NSS) structure.
Save for exceptional cases2, students should be able to complete six years of secondary education in the same school.
5. Schools should optimize the use of available resources to deliver multifarious teaching strategies and counselling services to cater for students’ different abilities and aptitudes, with a view to helping students solve their learning difficulties and handling their behavioral problems. Besides, schools should provide students with comprehensive guidance and counselling services on further studies and employment to ensure that they can complete their learning stage with appropriate support.
6. Schools should not force their students to leave school or advise them to leave voluntarily by various means or reasons, as such practices are educationally undesirable and defeat the purpose of providing schools with various resources to offer diversified and quality education to cater for students of different abilities and aptitudes. For schools that repeatedly violate this education principle, we will issue warning letters to the School Management Committees / Incorporated Management Committees (IMCs). If necessary, we may consider adopting other measures, including making known to the public the schools in order to safeguard students’ right of receiving education.
DETAILS
Reinforcing and Stepping up Measures to Foster Students’ Regular Attendance
(a) Formulation of school policy on student attendance
7. It is important for schools to develop an appropriate school policy relating to student attendance. The school policy should aim at developing students’ regular attendance habits as well as inculcating a positive attitude and value towards schooling. A mechanism should be in place for timely and proper intervention from teachers in collaboration with SGO / SGT / SGP / SSW in schools or social / youth work organisations in the community so that appropriate support can be provided to at-risk students / marginal dropouts to ensure that they can complete their primary / secondary education. Clear procedures and guidelines should be formulated for different school personnel to follow.
(b) Strategies to be adopted under the school policy on student attendance
8. We recommend schools to incorporate the following strategies in formulating the
2 At present, a small number of secondary schools do not have sufficient senior secondary places to accommodate all their own S3 students (e.g. some schools still need to adopt asymmetrical class structure, or some schools are unsuccessful in their application for development options and do not operate subsidized senior secondary curriculum). The Education Bureau will arrange S3 students of such schools to participate in Central Placement under the Secondary Four Placement Mechanism. They will be allocated subsidised S4 places and transferred to other schools to pursue their senior secondary studies.
school policy on student attendance:
(i) Since unsatisfactory academic performance is one of the predominant causes of truancy and dropout, it is important for schools to have a balanced curriculum and well-designed teaching and learning strategies to cater for the learning needs of students with different abilities and aptitudes. Besides, under the new senior secondary academic structure, schools are required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum with the intention that all students, regardless of their interests and abilities, could receive senior secondary education before progressing to further study, training or work.
(ii) Cross-disciplinary collaboration is important. Students with behavioral problems have stronger tendency to become dropouts, and they often have difficulties in complying with school rules and regulations. Schools should integrate the student guidance and discipline work to promote students’ whole- person development and rule-observing attitude. Teachers and SGO / SGT / SGP in primary schools and SSW in secondary schools should collaborate in handling at- risk students / marginal dropouts.
(iii) A holistic early intervention approach should be in place. By adopting the whole-school approach to guidance and discipline, school heads should involve class teachers, guidance and discipline personnel to devise and coordinate various measures and strategies to develop students’ positive value and attitude towards schooling. Whenever there is truancy, unexplained absence or irregular attendance, schools should make early intervention through the concerted efforts of staff members.
(iv) Schools should make good use of the community resources available for dropouts with problems in behavior or other aspects that are beyond schools’ handling capacity. Currently, dedicated non-governmental organisations (NGOs) offer valuable supporting services by running short-term learning / social development programmes for student dropouts with a view to helping these young people rekindle motivation and interest in learning or vocational training.
(v) Close home-school partnership would yield positive results in raising the children’s commitment to learning and sense of belonging to the school. Schools need to strengthen parent education and home-school co-operation to enable parents to understand the school policies on student attendance and support their children in meeting the requirements. Involving parents at the onset of intervention will help dropout students resume schooling at the earliest possible time. Schools should also disseminate updated information on the multiple progression pathways available to students so that parents can properly advise their children in their studies and career pursuit.
“Some Further Suggestions on Developing a School Policy on Student Attendance” are at Appendix I for schools’ reference.
Strict Compliance with the Requirements of Reporting Non-attendance and Dropout Cases to EDB
(a) Reporting Procedures
9. Schools must comply strictly with the requirements of reporting students’ non- attendance and dropouts to EDB, regardless of their age and class level. Relevant procedures are laid down in Appendix II. According to the “Early Notification System”, it is of utmost importance that school heads should report the case without delay to EDB on the 7th day of the student’s continuous absence disregard of the reasons for absence.
10. The Non-attendance Cases Team (NAC Team) of EDB will work in partnership with schools to help the student dropouts resume schooling at the earliest possible opportunity.
On the preventive side, concerted efforts among school, parents and NGOs are to be lined up to help the students concerned who (i) are attending primary and secondary classes; (ii) have been absent from school for 7 school days or more; and (iii) their reasons for absence are associated with behavioral problems, emotional problems, losing interest in their studies and other learning difficulties, truancy, family problems or being withheld by parents from attending school, etc.
11. Heads of schools should make the best use of the WebSAMS for keeping student information, reporting suspected student dropouts and analyzing school performance in respect of student attendance. Heads must ensure that the attendance records are kept properly and accurately, and make use of these records for early identification of students with irregular attendance pattern or absence without reasonable reasons. A teacher or other staff should be appointed to be in charge of the student attendance matters and liaison with the staff of the NAC Team as and when required.
12. Our record shows that some dropout cases were not reported to EDB, or not reported within the stipulated timeframe. The longer the students are out of school, the more difficult it will be for them to re-integrate into school, and the higher the risk of becoming a social burden in the longer term. To assure timely intervention, schools should comply strictly with the reporting requirements. In case of default, schools will be required to explain and take remedial action.
(b) Handling of Dropout Cases
13. At present, SGO / SGT / SGP handle dropout cases from primary schools while the NAC Team of EDB handles dropout cases from secondary schools.
14. For dropouts aged below 15, SGO / SGT / SGP / SSW will provide intervention service including counselling to them during the first two months after their absence has been reported. When counselling is not effective in bringing these students back to school, we will issue a warning letter to the parent(s) at the end of the second month after the reporting of absence. Should absence still persist, we will issue a reminder at the end of the third month and every month thereafter. For continuous non-compliance, we will issue an Attendance Order under Section 74 of the Education Ordinance (Cap 279) at the end of six months. It is worth reiterating that if intervention through in-depth investigation and analysis, as well as support services for student, can be arranged at the earliest possible opportunity, there is a greater chance for the student dropout to return to school smoothly.
15. For student dropouts aged 15 or above, EDB will try to place them back to the school last attended or other schools, depending on such circumstances as parental choice, suitability and availability of school places. With the consent of the parents concerned, EDB may also refer these dropouts to short-term programmes / social development programmes run by NGOs to prepare them for resumption of normal schooling. When the dropouts are ready for schooling, EDB will offer placement service and the respective NGOs will provide post-placement service to both the receiving school and the student. The receiving school is expected to work in collaboration with the NGO concerned to put in place a support programme for the student with a view to helping him / her to adapt to the school environment.
Please refer to Flow Chart (A) of Appendix III for Handling of Student Dropouts Aged Below 15 and Flow Chart (B) for Handling of Student Dropouts Aged 15 or Above.
Admitting and Re-admitting Student Dropouts
16. It is incumbent upon public-funded schools to accept school dropouts who are ready for schooling again and students who are referred by EDB, as long as the school is found to be suitable and there are vacancies. Schools have the obligation to re-admit their own dropouts, unless the students or their parents decline the offer. In accordance with the guidelines worked out by the Advisory Committee on the Placement of Pupils in 1990, with details at Appendix IV, it has been the practice to place student dropouts back to the school last attended.
17. Schools admitting or re-admitting dropouts should allow these students to attend class immediately rather than defer to the next school term or exclude the re-admitted students from attending lessons. Experience reveals that remedial services for these student dropouts would be more effective if such services would be taken forward within the school context.
Expulsion and Suspension of Students
(a) Expulsion of Students
18. By virtue of the right to education, schools should not expel students. For those students who are academically weak, schools are advised to deploy resources as far as practicable, and all teachers should participate actively in assisting students to resolve the difficulties in their learning and adaptation to school life. Teachers should also be made aware of the pastoral care system in the school and should participate fully in developing a healthy and positive learning environment. We reiterate that under all circumstances, schools must strictly comply with the relevant provisions3 as set out in the Codes of Aid.
(b) Suspension of Students
19. We consider suspension from class not a generally appropriate way to treat a misbehaved student. On the contrary, prolonged or frequent suspension from class would
3 For details, please refer to section 15.2 of the Code of Aid for Aided IMC Schools, section 45 and Appendix 1 of the Code of Aid for Primary/Secondary Schools or section 50 and Appendix 1 of the Code of Aid for Special Schools
have an adverse effect on the development of the student or, worst still, further aggravate his/her misbehaviour or learning difficulties. If necessary, the student should be referred for professional advice. Schools are therefore advised not to suspend students from class except under very special circumstances, and when taking such an action, to comply with the procedures provided in the Codes of Aid.
20. Schools should have duly warned and notified parents or guardians before suspending students who have misbehaved badly from class for a short period of time. If suspension from class lasts more than three days, the school should report the case to the Permanent Secretary for Education, and keep a record of all suspension cases should enquiries be required at a later date. During suspension from class, the student should receive proper supervision and counselling within the school premises.
21. In the event of possible delinquent behaviour of students that may violate the law, Police Community Relations Officers should be informed.
ENQUIRIES
22. You are welcome to contact your respective Senior School Development Officers for any enquiries. Below is a list of contact points that you may find useful for enquiring on some specific issues:
z on the policies relating to the enforcement of universal basic education:
Mr Henry YIP of the NAC Team at 3698 4388
z on handling dropout cases in secondary schools:
Mr CHOW Ho-ming of the NAC Team at 3698 4389
z on the counselling of dropout students in primary schools:
School Development Officers (Guidance & Discipline) of the respective district at 2863 4705
Mrs Michelle WONG for Secretary for Education
Appendix I
Some Further Suggestions on Developing a School Policy on Student Attendance
I. What constitutes a good school policy on student attendance?
z A good attendance policy should clearly articulate the circumstances in which schools will or will not authorize absence. To prevent dropout, there should also be an early warning system that detects signs of truancy and identifies at-risk students / marginal dropouts. Staff, parents and students should be adequately briefed so that they fully understand the implications of dropping out and the procedures for recording and reporting student absence.
z A good attendance policy sets up support systems that include: pastoral support plans for students with long term attendance difficulties, a learning pathway for at-risk students / marginal dropouts, including transfers to other schools / courses when necessary (see Appendix IV for relevant guidelines), a process to enable returning students to catch up on learning and re-integrate within the school, access to external support for parents and students, alternative / flexible curriculum arrangement for students with learning difficulties, training for staff working with at-risk students / marginal dropouts, etc.
z A good attendance policy reinforces and celebrates good and improved student attendance through a range of reward systems. Parents, learning mentors and partner schools should be involved in the celebrations where relevant.
II. What are the essential elements to be included in the policy?
z Measures to ensure that cases of school transfer are genuine and that the students are really attending class in their new schools;
z The contribution, in terms of regular practices, tasks and responsibilities, expected from different stakeholders in the school; for example, the administrative steps that a classroom teacher should take when a student of his / her class is absent or drops out from school, the measures taken to liaise with parents, the role and follow up work of the Student Guidance Officer (SGO) / Student Guidance Teacher (SGT) / Student Guidance Personnel (SGP) / School Social Worker (SSW), etc.
z The remedial / supportive actions that the school should take for students that exhibit irregular attendance; the positive and supportive measures that the school should take to enable a dropout to resume school smoothly or a newly admitted student to adjust to the school’s requirements;
z Proper transfers of at-risk students / marginal dropouts to other schools/courses, which include identifying students in need, providing counselling services, enhancing communication with parents. If parents request a school transfer of the students, schools should assist as far as possible in finding and liaising with appropriate schools / courses4, and taking appropriate follow-up actions.
z School-based mode of careers guidance and deployment of human resources, should be devised and reviewed regularly to provide students with appropriate support.
z Samples of forms used in connection with school attendance; and details of any personnel / professionals who may offer advice and support to parents.
III. Dos and Don’ts
Dos
We would like to recommend some good practices that schools may adopt and adapt as appropriate under different contextual environments in order to prevent irregular attendance, truancy and non-attendance.
z The good practices include: reviewing school policies to eliminate practices that discourage attendance; providing professional development for teachers who work with at-risk students / marginal dropouts; offering career education, conflict resolution and violence prevention programmes; providing students with after- school and summer enhancement programmes or alternative learning programmes; setting up a system of mentor and tutor students; connecting community service projects with classroom learning; enhancing family involvement in school activities.
z Do create a positive learning environment that provides an incentive for students to come to school. Students would attend school if the school applies fair and systematic reinforcement for achievement and effort, provides interesting extra- curricular activities, possesses high quality teaching and resources, employs committed and competent teachers, develops a caring pastoral system and maintains a harmonious environment, etc. Students need to feel secured, accepted among peers and have a sense of belonging to the school community.
z Do build regular attendance habits by emphasizing the importance of schooling in meeting with parents, newsletters and assemblies. Parents should also be given the messages that the law requires children attend school regularly and that absence from class would hinder students’ progress and create adjustment
4 Schools may contact their respective School Development Officers or EDB’s Non-attendance Cases Team to obtain information on vacant places in other schools for the purpose of student transfers.
problems.
z Do organize any school activity that builds trusting relationship between teachers and students, values students’ individuality, recognizes their contribution, addresses their concerns, or strengthens their sense of belonging or ownership to the schools etc. Students who engage in school activity are much more likely to sustain good attendance in the long term.
z Do follow up the cases after providing the early intervention programmes / services. Appropriate arrangements should be made in advance for at-risk students / marginal dropouts.
z Do collect and analyze attendance data regularly (e.g., weekly or bi-weekly) for the purpose of identifying the causes and patterns of student absence, and using the data to devise solutions and evaluate the effectiveness of intervention measures.
z Do provide training to all staff to equip them with the essential skills and knowledge of working with at-risk students / marginal dropouts and their parents.
Don’ts
z Do not administer discipline measures that hurt the self-esteem of students, or resort to practices that discourage attendance such as keeping students out of the classroom as a form of punishment which, in effect, takes away the reason for going to school.
z Do not punish truant students by depriving them of the opportunities in taking part in school and extra-curricular activities. Students must actively participate in school life and have a sense of belonging to school in order to sustain regular attendance.
z Do not ever give up hope in helping truant or potential dropouts. Their frequent or infrequent absence means they are having some kind of difficulty in adapting to school life. Teachers, guidance personnel / school social workers and parents can help by trying to understand the students’ problems or concerns, and lining up concerted efforts in offering appropriate support to the students concerned.
Appendix II Procedures for Reporting Student Dropouts and Other Student Movements
[Heads of schools are reminded to comply strictly with the following procedures in reporting student dropouts and other student movements.]
I. Students absent for 1 or 2 days
1. On the first day of a student’s absence, school should on the same day ascertain his / her reason for absence by phoning the parents, or any other means as appropriate.
2. If the student’s absence is assessed to be related to truancy, school refusal, difficulties in academics / behavior / emotion, etc, the at-risk students / marginal dropouts must be referred immediately to the SGO / SGT / SGP / SSW of the school for early intervention. Parents should be reminded to arrange for the students’ resumption of school the next day.
3. The school should keep a clear record of these students being referred to the SGO / SGT / SGP / SSW.
4. As a guiding principle, the SGO / SGT / SGP / SSW should work in collaboration with the discipline / guidance team of the school as well as the parents to assist the student to resume school as quickly as possible through persuasion, counselling and / or casework service.
II. Students absent for 7 days or more
5. If the student’s non-attendance persists, school head should follow the “Early Notification System” (ENS) and report the case WITHOUT DELAY to EDB on the 7th day of the student’s absence. The procedures of ENS are as follows:
z Schools using WebSAMS should : (a) use the “Attendance” module in the WebSAMS to report suspected dropout student and submit the data to EDB through the Communication and Delivery System (CDS); (b) for urgent cases, such as children being forbidden to attend school, family problems and severe behavioural problems, preview and print a hard copy of Form A and fax it to the NAC Team (fax number: 2520 0073) for follow-up action.
z Schools not using WebSAMS should : (a) use eForm A to report suspected dropout students and submit the data to EDB; (b) for urgent cases, such as children being forbidden to attend school, family problems and severe behavioural problems, print a hard copy of eForm A submitted in (a) and fax it to the NAC Team (fax number: 2520 0073) for follow-up action.
[For enquiries on using WebSAMS, please contact the School Liaison Officers of the Systems and Information Management Section. Information is available from http://cdr.websams.edb.gov.hk]
6. Work of SGO / SGT / SGP / SSW highlighted in paragraphs 3 and 4 above should continue as appropriate.
III. Student transfers and emigrated students
7. Though student transfers and emigrated students need not be reported to the NAC Team through the ENS, schools using WebSAMS are required to forward the completed Form A of these students to EDB through the CDS within 7 days of the student’s departure.
Schools not using WebSAMS are to submit to EDB the completed eForm A of these students.
IV. Student re-admission and new student intakes
8. Schools using WebSAMS are to report to EDB through the CDS re-admission of dropouts and new student intakes within 10 days from their first day of attendance, while schools not using WebSAMS are to submit eForm B or eForm C to EDB.
[Submission of Form B through the CDS or eForm B is not necessary if the enrolment of the student has already been reported during the Enrolment Survey conducted in mid September each year. Related procedures are listed in the “Guidelines for the Student Information Management System” uploaded on the EDB Homepage. For enquiries on the Guidelines, please contact the School Liaison Officers of the School Places Allocation Section.]
Appendix III
Flow Chart (A): Handling of Student Dropouts Aged Below 15
處 理 15 歲 以 下 輟 學 生 個 案 流 程 圖 (A)
Schools/ Identification 鑑定
EDB Reporting 申報
( See Appendix II of the circular 參閱本通告附錄 II )
SGOs/ Investigation調查
SGTs/ Counselling 輔導
SGP/ Support 支援
SSWs (Note 註 1 )
1-2 months
一至二個月
No further action if the student 不用跟進若學生
− attends Boys’/ Girls’ Home 入讀童院
− takes up apprenticeship 參加學徒訓練
− attends vocational course 就讀職訓課程
− has left HK 已離港
− cannot be traced /lost contact 聯絡不上 / 失去聯絡
Absence persists
缺課持續
Warning Letter (end of 2nd month) 警告信(第二個月月底)
EDB Reminder (end of each month
thereafter) 跟進警告信(其後每個月月底)
Attendance Order (end of 6 th month) 入學令(第六個月月底) (Note 註 2 )
Police Investigation
警方調查
Prosecution
檢控
Court Proceedings
法庭程序
School Resumption
重返校園
( Note 註3)
Absence persists缺課持續
Absence persists
缺課持續
Appendix III
Flow Chart (B): Handling of Student Dropouts Aged 15 or Above
處 理 15 歲 或 以 上 輟 學 生 個 案 流 程 圖 (B)
Parental Consent 家長同意
Schools Identification 鑑定
SSWs / Investigation調查 SGOs / Counselling 輔導 SGTs / Support 支援 SGP
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Short-term learning / social development programme
短期學習 / 群育發展計劃
Absence from School for 7 School Days for Cases of Truancy / Unexplained Absence / Irregular Attendance 連續缺課達七個上課日的逃學 / 無故曠課 / 不定時上學
Reporting 申報
Schools (See Appendix II of the circular 參閱本通告附錄 II )
EDB Placement安排學位
School Resumption
重返校園
Vocational Training
職業訓練
EDB Assessment on Students
評估學生 Parental Consent
家長同意
Parental Consent 家長同意
Note 1: Investigation, Counselling and Support
• In handling a dropout case, the primary concern is to safeguard the student’s right to education. This calls for SGO / SGT / SGP / SSW to work with different professionals (such as family social workers and educational psychologists) to adopt short-term case management strategy in order to bring the student back to school as quickly as possible.
• The primary objective of the intervention during the first 2 months since his / her absence is to assist student in resuming schooling.
• The intervention should include a speedy assessment (identification of focal issues, goal clarification, case analysis, etc), collaboration (establishing rapport with clients and family members, soliciting support resources such as educational assessment, family counselling services, alternative education programmes, etc), closely monitored schedule of work (tasks to be accomplished as agreed, interim arrangement made with school staff, etc) and follow up actions (supporting and monitoring progress when student resumes schooling).
• If intervention fails to achieve the primary objective, the SGO / SGT / SGP / SSW should consult the School Development Officers (Guidance & Discipline) or Inspector of the Non-attendance Cases (NAC) Team and to consider convening a multi-disciplinary case conference with a view to bringing the child back to school. The need to step up the intervention by issuing warning letters or attendance orders by EDB should also be considered.
• During the course of intervention, the SGO / SGT / SGP / SSW should take note of the following points:
- Early intervention will stand a better chance for the child to resume schooling.
- Effective guidance can be rendered only if the child is in the school.
- In the first or second contact, make it clear to the parents that it is their responsibility to send the child to school, tell them the possible harmful effect on the child’s development and the legal consequences.
- To enable the child to resume schooling and maintain regular attendance, school staff’s understanding, acceptance and granting of concession are essential.
- To convince the child and the original school that attending class is necessary while waiting for alternative school placement.
- If necessary, the SSW should discuss case with the Inspector of the NAC Team and the SGO / SGT / SGP consult the School Development Officer (Guidance &
Discipline) of EDB.
Note 2: Issue of Warning Letters / Attendance Orders
• The Inspector of the NAC Team should, at the end of the second month of the student’s absence (without reasonable excuse), issue a warning letter to the parents concerned. A reminder will be issued at the end of the third month and every month thereafter should absence still persist.
• The warning letter and the reminder(s) require the parents to bring the student back to the original school or a specified placement suitable for the student.
• The Inspector of the NAC Team must ensure that the parents understand the consequence of non-compliance with the requirements of the warning letter and the reminder(s), that is, the issue of attendance order under Section 74, Education Ordinance, Cap 279. The penalty, on conviction, for failing to comply with the attendance order is a fine at Level 3 ($10,000) and three-month imprisonment, should be conveyed to the parents clearly.
• If the non-attendance situation persists without reasonable excuse, an attendance order will be served at the end of six months.
• The attendance orders are to be served to the parents in a home visit by the Inspector of the NAC Team and a School Development Officer of the Regional Education Office, who serves as a witness and a resource person in case the parents enquire about the placement.
• During the home visit, the Inspector of the NAC Team has to explain to the parents that they must bring the student to the specified school at the specified date, they have the right to make an appeal to the Administrative Appeal Board (AAB) within 28 days should they be aggrieved by the attendance orders, and the possible legal consequence for non-compliance.
• During the period when the warning letters / reminder(s) / attendance orders are issued, the SGO / SGT / SGP / SSW should work in partnership with the Inspector of the NAC Team.
Note 3: School Resumption
• Whenever a dropout resumes schooling, measures must be taken to ensure that the child can adjust well to the requirements of the school. This includes the follow-up service on the case by the SGO / SGT / SGP / SSW, the implementation of a short-term adjustment programme, etc.
Remarks
SGO / SGT / SGP are reminded to:
(a) report case progress to the NAC Team on monthly basis until the case is closed;
(b) use “Investigation Report on Dropout Cases” for monthly reporting; and
(c) use “Dropout Case Progress Review” to bring up cases to the Internal Review Board (IRB) of EDB in the 5th month.
SSWs are reminded to:
(a) submit an investigation report with recommendations to the NAC Team within the first month after receiving EDB’s request according to the procedures laid in the “Guideline for School Social Workers in Co-operation with the then Education Department on Handling of Non-attendance in Junior Secondary School (October 1992)”;
(b) work in partnership with the NAC Team and provide assistance whenever possible.
Appendix IV
Guidelines on Placement of Pupils
The Advisory Committee on the Placement of Pupils, set up in 1990, had worked out in the same year a set of guidelines to be followed in the placement of dropout pupils. These guidelines are set out as follows:
(a) As far as possible, the original school where the pupil dropped out should have the obligation to re-admit the pupil. The obvious advantage of this arrangement is that the pupil can adjust to the environment easily. If, however, re-admitting the pupil into his original school would affect his motivation in study or cause other problems, a transfer to a more suitable school would be considered.
(b) The physical location of the new school in relation to the pupil’s residential address should be considered.
(c) A school with more vacancies should have more obligations to admit the pupil.
(d) In general, the ability band of the pupil should not be too different from those of the other pupils of the new school concerned.
(e) In principle, no distinction should be made between government and aided schools as far as placement of these pupils is concerned.
