Effective with the new academic year that commenced in early September, all high school students are required to bring their fathers when registering for enrollment.  The fathers are required to bring their Eritrean identification cards as well as their coupon numbers.

This new requirement is designed to facilitate tracking of students or their parents, in the event the student fails to report to Sawa, where the nation�s only high school completion institution is located.

Several months ago, the government arrested parents and demanded that they account for their missing children who have been flocking to neighboring Sudan and Ethiopia.  It offered to release them on bail, if they posted between 10,000 to 50,000 nakfas (1USD=15nkf.)

The new rule, which was introduced without discussion, applies to all students who are in grade 9 and above.

The coupon is issued to all Eritreans for use in the ruling party-owned shops, which are called �r�tawi dukwan� ("fair shops.")  

Our sources indicate that the purpose of requiring the coupons is not only to make the father more accountable for the absence of the child, but also to deny basic government services to families that continue to use the private shops.