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A Special International Report Prepared by
The Washington Times Advertising Department - Published on October 25, 1999
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Advertisers
(1) Macau Trade & Investment Promotion Institute
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Education in Macau has a rich and extensive history. Some historians have suggested that schools existed as far back as the sixteenth century when the seafaring Portuguese traders were navigating through the South China Sea. However, the early education sector encountered a few bumps along the road including the expulsion of Jesuits from all Portuguese territories and the closure of many schools and the University College in the eighteenth century. Now Macau is justifiably proud of the fact that it has made significant progress over the past few years. If all levels of education are considered, Macau's student population stands at a figure approaching 102,000, not including the numbers of those taking professional or adult education training courses. The territory is home to six institutes of higher learning, four public and two private, with a student body of more than ten thousand spread across a wide range of courses at the diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate level. Macau's priority has been placed principally on widening and improving higher education, creating and consolidating the territory's own educational system, and extending free schooling to the private sector. In fact, the vast majority of schools are privately run institutions operated by religious bodies, social service organizations, commercial enterprises and individuals. Again, it is STDM's gaming concession that also contributes to participation in Macau's education development. through pledges of support or subsidies to Chinese private schools and directly to the Associaiton for the Promotion of Macanese Education. Three different curricula co-exist in Macau, each taught in a different language of instruction: Chinese, Portuguese and English. The Portuguese syllabus taught in Macau is based on the Portuguese educational system, while English, the importance of which is ever increasing as an international language, can be found as the means of instruction in schools throughout the region. After the 1987 when the Portuguese and Chinese Governments agreed that sovereignty of Macau would revert to the PRC in 1999, this set the stage for dramatic education reform proposals, namely the "creation of an educational system that would satisfy the requirements and necessities which the economic, political, cultural and social developments will bring in the future," according to an officially stated Government document. Subsequently since 1991, Macau's educational system has undergone thorough reform. Now at the stage of consolidation, this process has involved the active and informed participation of all sectors of education aimed at implementing a system of education which reflects the specific nature of the territory. Along side the construction of new educational facilities, teacher training has also been particularly targeted for development. Furthermore, over the last few years, through the money generated by the sale of land concessions and residential developments, the government of Macau has undertaken a huge school construction program while funding existing schools investment in new equipment. The Macau government also supports two private institutions of higher education: the International Open University of Asia (Macau), which runs a long-distance learning course; and the Inter-University Institute of Macau, which was created jointly by the Macau diocese and the Portuguese Catholic University. Perhaps, it's not just a cultural legacy that the Portuguese are leaving behind, but rather a learning environment that is shaping the lives of countless citizens throughout the entire community. |
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(1) Betting on the future with China |
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"Education is indeed a priority in Macau and we envision many new prospects opening up for our young people," remarked Jorge A.H. Rangel, Under-Secretary for Administration, Education and Youth Affairs.