According to the statistics of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ), there are 10 higher education institutions in Macao in the academic year 2021/2022. 77 schools with 120 school units provide formal and recurrent education, among the 112 school units of formal education, 107 belong to free education school system, with a coverage rate of 95.5% and the number of beneficiaries is about 75,000 students. The DSEDJ will follow the policy guidelines of the SAR government as well as the "Medium- and Long-term Development Plan for Tertiary Education in Macao (2021-2030)", "Medium- and Long-term Plan for Non-tertiary Education (2021-2030)", "Macao Youth Policy (2021-2030)" to carry out various tasks to promote the development of tertiary education, non-tertiary education and youth work in Macao, thus cultivating more pools of outstanding talent for Macao.
Make campus a safe place, strictly guard against epidemics
Based on experience from last year, the DSEDJ has collected preliminary plans for the start of the new academic year from higher education institutions and schools, such as sanitary and anti-epidemic measures, group gathering management, maintenance of normal classroom teaching operations, as well as contingency plans or special measures for teaching arrangements and student management in response to changes in the epidemic situation. Besides, the DSEDJ has also formulated “Guidelines on the Start of the Academic Year 2021/2022 for Higher Education Institutions in Macao” and “School Operation Guide (2021/2022 Academic Year)” to serve as a reference in carrying out work relating to teaching and student management in school and in higher education institution.
In view of the uncertainty of the risk of the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic in Macao in early August, in order to protect the health and safety of faculty, teaching staff and students, the DSEDJ has stayed in close contact with higher education institutions and schools about the work of the new academic year, in particular the arrangements relating to attending classes and epidemic prevention. It has also recommended that schools should cancel or postpone group activities, school outing and exchange activities lately to reduce the risk of virus transmission. As the SAR government has lowered the age of eligibility for mRNA vaccine to 12, the DSEDJ will cooperate on the arrangements of the health departments, strengthen the publicity work for parents, teaching staff and students, encourage students of the right age and eligible teaching staff to get vaccinated as soon as possible so as to jointly build a community immunity, stop the spread of diseases as well as protect the health of teachers and students.
Pay attention to the new provisions of the national flag and national anthem law
Law No. 5/1999: “The Use and Protection of the National Flag, National Emblem and National Anthem”, modified by Law No. 12/2021, as well as Administrative Regulation No. 5/2019: “Specific Provisions for the Use of the National Flag, National Emblem, Regional Flag, Regional Emblem and the Playing and Singing of the National Anthem”, modified by Administrative Regulation No. 26/2021, were released on 26th July and came into force from the following day onwards.
For this reason, the DSEDJ has sent a letter to inform higher education institutions and schools that they should pay attention to the relevant provisions of the above-mentioned law and administrative regulation, in particular remind them to pay special attention to the venues and days when the national flag must be displayed or raised, the time for raising and lowering the national flag, the national flag-raising ceremony, the occasion for playing and singing the national anthem, the standard score and an official recording of the national anthem being played, provisions for displaying and raising the national flag and the regional flag simultaneously, and so on. Besides, the DSEDJ has also formulated “Guidelines on the Display of and Raising the National Flag for Tertiary Education Institutions” and “Guidelines on the Display of and Raising the National Flag for Non-tertiary Education Schools” and requested higher education institutions and schools to draw up procedures and supervisory mechanism for raising the national flag, promoted schools to use the teaching resources of "The National Flag, National
Emblem and National Anthem of the People's Republic of China, the Regional Flag and Regional Emblem of the Macao Special Administrative Region".
Promote the establishment of local teaching materials, implement the student evaluation system
In the academic year 2021/2022, the implementation of History as a compulsory and independent subject in secondary education level will be extended to Form two and Form five respectively. This further strengthens the cultivation of students' love for the family and nation. In response to the needs of curriculum development, the DSEDJ continues to promote the development of local teaching materials. A complete set of teaching materials "Chinese Language" (trial version) and "General Studies" (trial version) for primary schools as well as the supplementary teaching materials “The Constitution” and “The Basic Law” for secondary and primary schools have been published. Besides, the Portuguese version and English version of “History” (trial version) for secondary schools were also published for the first time for school use.
In order to cooperate on the implementation of Law No. 15/2020 "The Status of Private Schools of Non-tertiary Education" and Administrative Regulation No. 28/2020 "Student Assessment System for Formal Education of Local Education System" in the school year 2021/2022, the DSEDJ will continue to carry out the related work, improve education management and supervisory mechanisms, support schools in formulating and continuously improving school-based student assessment regulations, promote schools to carry out diversified assessments and give a major focus on formative assessments, orderly innovate on the basis of traditional tests, adopt multiple methods and consider different aspects when evaluating students’ learning status and literacy development in all aspects, so as to care for students’ different development needs, cater for learning differences, provide various guidance in a timely manner, promote students’ learning success, and create favorable conditions and institutional guarantees for the sustainable development of school education .
Continue to optimize the work relating to reducing the weight of school bags
The DSEDJ continues to optimise the guidelines on "Reducing the Weight of Students’ School Bags" in the "School Operation Guide". For example, the specific methods for randomly checking the weight of school bags are added and it requests schools to conduct at least two times of random inspection of school bags in each academic year, and submit the relevant inspection records to the DSEDJ. In addition, the DSEDJ has made a promotional video to continue to promote to students and parents the ways for reducing the weight of school bags. Reducing weight of school bags is included in the school's comprehensive evaluation index system so as to promote schools to pay attention to the weight of students' school bags during self-evaluation, and verify relevant work through the external evaluation. In addition, the DSEDJ staff will continue to visit schools to support schools in implementing and reviewing strategies for reducing the weight of school bags and learn about school’s random check on school bags, work together with schools, teaching staff, parents, and students to promote the physical and mental development of students.
Inheritance of Chinese etiquette culture and career planning
The DSEDJ will hold "Inheritance of Chinese Etiquette Culture" touring theatrical performances in different secondary schools, on the theme of "Respecting the Aged and Supporting the Young" to allow students to understand and learn Chinese etiquette and culture. In addition, the DSEDJ will continue to carry out various activities relating to career planning through multiple forms, including holding sharing sessions and explanatory sessions on information about further studies and providing fresh graduates with opportunities to participate in internship programmes. At the same time, according to the current situation of the society and the development needs of different industries, the latest information on further studies, major selection, professional certification, employment preparation as well as innovation and entrepreneurship will be provided for students and parents so as to help students prepare well beforehand in accordance with their own goals, needs, expertise and social development. The DSEDJ will continue to develop diversified activities so that students at different educational stages can grasp the information on pathways to further studies or employment, thus doing better planning for the future.
Cultivate love for the family and nation, care for physical and mental development
To care for the different needs of more young people, "Macao Youth Policy (2021-2030)" expands the age range of youth from 13-29 to 13-35. One of the main directions of the Youth Policy is to cultivate young people's love for the family and nation. In 2021, through the coordination of the interdepartmental follow-up group members, 22 departments have worked with higher education institutions to launch more than 400 action plans to provide more comprehensive and powerful support in effectively implementing the Youth Policy.
In order to cooperate on "National Constitution Day", the DSEDJ promotes schools to set a period of time on the school calendar for "Law Popularization Education Week", aiming to develop and promote students to participate in law education activities from a school-based perspective, enhance students' knowledge of law and cultivate the spirit of rule of law in them. Linking "Loving the Country, Loving Macao Education Base" and different local patriotic educational resources together, the DSEDJ has launched the "Nurturing one’s love for the Family and Nation Extended Education Programme" to strengthen students’ understanding of national defense, diplomacy and national development, strengthen the cultivation of students’ patriotic feelings. At the same time, the DSEDJ will provide students with more information about life in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area through different information platforms, provide young people with more opportunities for internships and professional training in companies in different regions, enhance their professional development and comprehensive competitiveness, and promote their integration into the overall development of regional cooperation.
Strengthen talent cultivation, expand foreign cooperation
In order to promote the steady development of tertiary education in Macao and the continuous improvement of teaching quality, the DSEDJ coordinates with higher education institutions on carrying out the evaluation of institutions and courses in accordance with "Higher Education Quality Evaluation System", and supports higher education institutions in exerting their respective advantages and cultivating different types of talents to meet the needs of moderate economic diversification in Macao. The University of Macau is actively preparing for new degree programmes in Global Public Health, Internet of Things, and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The Macau Polytechnic Institute and Peking University Health Science Center have worked together to establish a Nursing Academy and jointly launched a bachelor degree programme in Nursing. Macao Institute for Tourism Studies has launched a new bachelor degree programme in Cultural and Heritage Management, which has passed the international quality assurance of the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. And besides, a master programme that combines Smart Technology and Tourism is being organised.
The DSEDJ will continue to support higher education institutions in further strengthening the cooperation with universities, enterprises, and scientific research institutions in the Greater Bay Area, plan more projects in science education and talent exchanges, support the work organised or participated by the higher education institutions in Macao, including the training of Chinese-Portuguese bilingual talents, tourism education and training in the Greater Bay Area, inter-university or regional university alliance among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao universities. The University of Macau has established a production-study-research demonstration base in Hengqin, which will further promote the application and transformation of scientific and technological achievements in the Greater Bay Area. The Macau Polytechnic Institute promotes the construction of the "Greater Bay Area Portuguese Language Education Alliance" to encourage cooperation with universities in the Bay Area as well as share Macao’s experience and advantages of Chinese-Portuguese bilingual teaching. Macao Institute for Tourism Studies promotes the extension of tourism education and training base in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, using the training facilities in Hengqin, Guangzhou and Shunde to cultivate more professionals in the field of tourism for the Bay Area
Conclusion
In the 2021/2022 academic year, the DSEDJ will continue to work with colleges and universities, schools and parents to provide students with a safe and excellent learning environment, strengthen creative education, and strive to allow students to inherit history and culture, nurture their love for the family and nation, develop their soft power, improve the well-being of students and enable them to become a pool of talent who serve the community and construct the country.