Evidence of a trend away from education comes with evidence the economy is in recession and just a year before the generally affluent city-state makes primary school education compulsory.

Although Singapore prides itself on its education system, ministry figures show 1921 children did not register for Primary 1 classes in 1999, up 244 on 1997 figures.

Although data for 2000 and 2001 was not available, the Sunday Times said it was possible as many as 2000 children were not registered in those years.

In an attempt to track down the "missing children", the education ministry is matching birth records with the names of enrolled children to identify those who have not signed up.

Other government and voluntary welfare organisations were also involved in "encouraging, persuading and helping parfents who do not send their children to school, to do so," the ministry said.

Musrin Ma'rof, a counsellor with the Singapore Children's Society's Yishun family service centre said when they tracked down children it was an uphill task to have the parents send them to school.

"Many of them are worried that they will incur additional living expenses if they send their children to school," he said.

"They say they can't afford to buy school uniforms, shoes and textbooks, or have no money for transport.

"They are scraping the bottom of the barel to get one meal a day, so education is not their top priority."

Compulsory education starts next year for Singapore children born on or after January 1, 1996. They must attend at least six years of school.

Although financial assistance schemes are available, they are temporary and families find it hard to cope with schooling expenses, Ma'rof said.

"Some of them become so overwhelmed with their problems that they just give up," he said.

It is only after they can get a steady source of income that they become willing to send their children to school, he said.

In the current recession, unemployment has risen to a 15-year-high of 4.7 percent and is expected to close on six percent this year.

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