According to the statistics of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ), in the 2023/2024 academic year, there are 10 higher education institutions, 76 non-higher education schools and 116 school units (formal and recurrent education) in Macao; among them, 103 school units are included in the free education system, benefiting about 80,000 students.
Put emphasis on school campus safety and promote diverse learning
The DSEDJ attaches great importance to the healthy growth of students, especially to the safety of students’ learning environment, including the cooking environment in school kitchens, management of laboratory chemicals, fuel storage and fire prevention equipment, etc. It supports the continuous optimization of relevant facilities and equipment in schools; raises crisis management awareness and improves schools’ ability to handle special cases by providing software and hardware support to schools; strengthen the management of on-campus healthy diet through school-based monitoring work. In addition, the DSEDJ actively promotes the training of Chinese-Portuguese bilingual talents, takes non-higher education as the starting point of Portuguese learning, supports schools to organize diversified Portuguese learning activities, enriches Portuguese learning resources, and organizes students to participate in cultural experience activities etc., to enhance students’ interest in learning Portuguese language. It also subsidizes students to take internationally recognized Portuguese proficiency tests, and systematically cultivates Chinese-Portuguese bilingual talents. Courses of the fifth phase of “Continuing Education Development Plan” will start on September 1. The plan promotes residents to improve personal skills and competencies through continuing education or taking certification exams, which in turn supports economic diversification in Macao and creates a learning society.
Expand external cooperation and strengthen talent cultivation
The DSEDJ continues to promote higher education institutions to carry out quality evaluation work for the institutions and their courses according to the regulations of higher education system, so as to strengthen the international and regional competitiveness of higher education in Macao; In order to implement the SAR government’s talent cultivation policies, the Education Fund focuses on meeting the needs of talent training in key industries and optimizes the “Tertiary Education Grants Scheme” and “Scholarship Program for Studying in Top Higher Education Institutions”. In addition, in line with Macao’s “1+4” moderately diversified economic development strategy, the DSEDJ stresses on promoting the development of industry, education and research, carrying out cooperation in various fields of “education + tourism”, cultivating more outstanding talents who love the country and Macao, and promoting the exchange and cooperation between Macao, the Greater Bay Area, Chinese mainland and the rest of the world.
Strengthen science and technology education and promote parenting education
To encourage more students to join the science and technology industry, the DSEDJ launches science and technology popularization education programs for students in an orderly manner. Students are supported to conduct scientific inquiry activities at the Science Center; science courses for students of different grades are designed to correspond to the textbooks; “Program for the Development of Scientific Innovation Talent of ‘Youth Science and Technology Village’” was launched, STEM training activities have been carried out, and a parent-child science reading space has been set up at the Science Center to enhance the atmosphere of science popularization; “Parents’ First Lesson” promotional video was published, with the theme of “helping children adapt to school” and “parenting education”, to share matters that need attention when school starts; encourage parents to share their thoughts and listen to their children through parent-child reading, sports or outdoor activities, to build a close parent-child relationship through high-quality companionship, and to guide children to ask for parents’ help when they face difficulties. In addition, the DSEDJ continues to follow up with non-higher education schools about students’ physical and mental health, and tries to intervene in the cases as early as possible to provide comprehensive support to students in need. The DSEDJ also supports schools to carry out education and counseling work through special webpages like Student Counselling Resources Webpage, Parenting Education Webpage, as well as Moral and Civil Education Resources Webpage.
Cultivate patriotism and seize development opportunities
In order to promote and implement the “Macao Youth Policy (2021-2030)”, the DSEDJ continues to coordinate with 22 departments and higher education institutions through an interdepartmental follow-up group to launch about 400 action plans in 2023, which include internship programs in Macao and in Chinese mainland that enable young students to learn about and experience the actual employment situation in different professions. The programs encourage them to be a part of the Greater Bay Area and Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, to experience the local life and culture there, and provide them with more career planning choices. “Form One Integrated Experience Educational Camp” was launched to provide students with activities to adapt to secondary school life. The activities combine elements of love for the country and for Macao and popular science education to deepen students’ understanding of the country’s development and major achievements, and strengthen students’ patriotic belief. The “Extended Education Program for Deepening the Feelings for Home and the Country” has been carrying out by using the “Love the Country, Love Macao Educational Base for the Youth” as a base to link up different patriotic educational resources in Macao, and the program has expanded the target participants to cover youth groups and associations.