School Attendance Certificate

A "school attendance certificate" is a document issued by the head of school, certifying that the child employee is studying at the school. When a child is offered an employment, his parent should apply to the head of school for this certificate.  The Regulations also require the parent to produce to the employer a valid school attendance certificate in respect of the child.  Labour Inspectors of the Labour Department will conduct inspection visits to places of employment in order to ensure that every child worker engaged in part-time employment is employed within the law and possesses an official school attendance certificate.

 Employment of Children Regulations

1. The Employment of Children Regulations, made under the Employment Ordinance (Cap.57), prohibit the employment of children in industrial undertakings and regulate the employment of children in non-industrial establishments, so as not to interfere with their schooling.
2. A "child" is defined under the Employment Ordinance as a person under 15 years old. No person shall employ a child in any industrial undertaking. Children aged under 13 are further prohibited from taking up employment in all economic sectors.
3. Children aged 13 or over may be employed in non-industrial establishments, subject to the condition that they are attending schools if they have not completed Form III of secondary education and other restrictions elaborated in "A Concise Guide to the Employment of Children Regulations" issued by the Labour Department.
4. A child who works in any place of employment, whether for wages or not, shall be deemed to be employed therein for the purposes of the Regulations.
5. Details please refer to "A Concise Guide to the Employment of Children Regulations".

Employment of Child Entertainers

1. For the development of art and training, the Commissioner for Labour may grant special permission for children of whatever ages to be employed as entertainers, subject to certain restrictions listed in "A Guide to the Employment of Child Entertainers " issued by the Labour Department.
2. Details please refer to“A Guide to the Employment of Child Entertainers”.

Application for a school attendance certificate

1. Application for a school attendance certificate must be made in either English or Chinese by the parent/guardian in respect of the child/ward direct to the head of school. A specimen of the standard application form is appended below.  Heads of Schools may make copies of it for use.
2. On receipt of the application form, with the top portion duly completed by a parent, the school should verify the particulars of the student and take action in accordance with the procedures laid down in the Notes on application for a school attendance certificate.
3. The completed application form should be sent to the Non-attendance Cases Team of the Education Bureau 14 calendar days before the scheduled work date by fax (2520 0073) or by mail to Room W108, 1/F, West Block, Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong and mark “School Attendance Certificate” at the cover of the envelop.
4. A school attendance certificate (Form EDB 908 in duplicate) will be prepared and sent to the Head of school for issuance after signature. The school will issue the school attendance certificate to the parent/guardian. The parent/guardian should be advised to forward the original copy to the employer of the student. The duplicate (yellow) is to be retained by the school for record purpose.
5. If the student is absent from school, the school must comply strictly with the requirements stipulated in the EDB Circular No. 21/2024 regarding "Upholding Students' Right to Education" in reporting the case to the Education Bureau on the 7th day of the student's continuous absence, regardless of age, class level and reasons for absence.

 Application Form for School Attendance Certificate

Notes on Application for a School Attendance Certificate

1. In applying for a school attendance certificate, the parent/guardian should complete application form.
2. Upon receipt of the application form, the school should verify the personal particulars of the student.
3. The school should vet the application to ensure that it complies with the requirements set out by the Labour Department.
4. If the Head of school is satisfied with his/her findings, he/she should forward the application form to the Non-attendance Cases Team of the Education Bureau, indicating that he/she intends to issue a school attendance certificate to the parent/guardian.
5. The Non-attendance Cases Team of the Education Bureau will liaise with the parent and the employment organization concerned, if necessary.
6. All school attendance certificates, irrespective of the date of issue, are valid for a maximum of one year.  Re-application will therefore be necessary in all cases where children wish to take up part-time work extending beyond the expiry date.
7. The school attendance certificate lists the employment that the student is undertaking outside school hours, the school he/she is attending and the validity period. If the student changes school or job, the parent/guardian must apply for another school attendance certificate. The parent/guardian must obtain the original copy of the existing school attendance certificate from the employer and surrender it on re-application.
8. If a student wants to do two jobs, he/she must apply for two school attendance certificates. Each child may apply for a maximum of three school attendance certificates in one year.
9. If the student’s education has been adversely affected by the employment, the school should not renew the school attendance certificate upon expiry.
10. The application form and the school attendance certificates are free of charge.

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