Education authorities in China's special administrative region of Macau have blamed the sharp dropout rate in high schools to the increasing number of casinos offering greater employment opportunities, says Xinhua.

The bureau estimated that hundreds of high school students left to pursue jobs in casinos last year, when four casinos opened offering thousands of job opportunities, Macau Daily newspaper reported Thursday.

According to the figures from the education and youth affairs bureau, in the new semester there were 95,485 students enrolled in Macau's 89 schools offering compulsory education, a decrease of 2,777 students over the corresponding period last year.

Sou Chio Fai, director of the bureau, said the high dropout rate combined with the dwindling birth rate were the main causes for the fall in number of student enrolments.

Teachers said the fall in enrolment was expected as students were lured by the opportunity to earn a fast buck in casinos that have been designated the city's economic backbone by the government.

As many as 56,008 students are given education free of charge, which cost the Macau government $53 million last year.