School Dropouts in Hong Kong: Parents' Experiences.

Abstract

Note I sincerely acknowledge the Direct Grant Committee of The Chinese University of Hong Kong for sponsoring the study. The strong emphasis of parents’ responsibility in children’s study in the Chinese culture Parents have the prime responsibility to ensure that their children attend school regularly in most developed societies, both in the East and West (National Audit Office, 2005; Manpower and Education Bureau, 2003). In Hong Kong, parents of student dropouts can be issued an attendance order that requires them to send the child back to school. Any parent who fails to comply with an attendance order without reasonable cause commits an offence carrying a fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for three months (Manpower and Education Bureau, 2003). Unlike in the Western context, such as the situation in the United States and the United Kingdom, in Hong Kong, there is limited community or police involvement with the dropout children over the issues of their nonattendance. Parents are expected to solve the problem with their children.