Chapter 4　Compulsory education and free education

Article 20　Compulsory education

1. Compulsory education is the universal education compulsorily implemented for minors aged between 5 and 15.

2. The obligation of schooling starts from the first academic year after 5 full years old to the academic year in which the student is 15 full years old or he/she has completed and passed junior secondary education.

3. Parents have the obligation to process matriculation and enrolment for minors in the scope of compulsory education every academic year.

4. The government and education institutions have the responsibility to ensure the minors in the scope of compulsory education to complete compulsory education.

5. Compulsory education system is governed by specific statutes.

Article 21　Free education

1. Free education means free from tuition, complementary service fees and other fees related to enrolment, attendance and certificate.

2. Free education is implemented in formal education, but without affecting the applicability of the stipulation of Clause No. 4 of Article 55.

3. The beneficiaries of free education are students studying in the following scopes, and they are residents of the Macao Special Administrative Region. They should be studying in:
1) All the grades in the scopes of free education in public schools;
2) The grades of private schools that joined the free education school system in accordance with the stipulations of Clause No.4 to Clause No. 6 of Article 36.

4. The implementation of free education is governed by specific statutes.