Education in Macau
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| Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) | |
|---|---|
| Director Deputy Director Deputy Director | Leong Lai Lou Pak Sang Kuok Sio Lai |
| General details | |
| Primary languages | Chinese and English, Portuguese |
Most of the schools in Macau are private or subsidized schools. There are only a few government or state schools, in which Portuguese is used as a medium of instruction or taken as a compulsory subject in Macau. A basic 15 years compulsory, free education, is offered to those pupils who have been enrolled at the schools which have met certain requirements stipulated by the government.
Moreover, the majority of the schools in Macau are grammar schools, which offer language learning, mathematics, science subjects, social studies, etc. to the pupils. There are only a few vocational schools in Macau, offering technical subjects such as car-repairing, electronics, constructions, etc.
As prescribed by the Basic Law of Macau Chapter VI Article 121, the Government of Macau shall, on its own, formulate policies on education, including policies regarding the educational system and its administration, the language of instruction, the allocation of funds, the examination system, the recognition of educational qualifications and the system of academic awards so as to promote educational development. The government shall also in accordance with law, gradually institute a compulsory education system. Community organizations and individuals may, in accordance with law, run educational undertakings of various kinds.
System of education
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| Education in Macau |
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| Other Macau topics |
| Macau portal |
At present, most schools in Macau follow a so-called ″local education system″ . That is, 6 years primary school education, 3 years for junior secondary school education and 3 years for senior secondary school education up to Form 6. In their senior secondary school years, students are usually required to stream in science, commerce, or arts. Pupils who plan to study further would usually sit for the exam organised by the higher education institutes, or international assessment bodies like Edexcel, CIE and College Board, or the related government bodies in mainland China and Taiwan.
School Grade
| Typical age | Grade/Level | Curriculum Stages | Schools | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | N/A | Infant Education | Kindergarten | ||
| 4 | |||||
| 5 | |||||
| 6—10 | Primary 1 | Primary Education | Primary School | ||
| 7—11 | Primary 2 | ||||
| 8—12 | Primary 3 | ||||
| 9—13 | Primary 4 | ||||
| 10—14 | Primary 5 | ||||
| 11—15 | Primary 6 | ||||
| 12—16 | Form 1 | Junior Secondary Education | Junior Secondary School | ||
| 13—17 | Form 2 | ||||
| 14—18 | Form 3 | ||||
| 15—19 | Form 4 | Senior Secondary Education | Vocational and Technical Education | Senior Secondary School | Vocational School |
| 16—20 | Form 5 | ||||
| 17—21 | Form 6 | ||||
Mediums of instruction
Regarding language learning in Macau, Cantonese and English are offered at most of the schools. Escola Portuguesa de Macau is currently the only school in Macao offering curricula similar to those of Portugal and a Portuguese-language education for pupils from 1st grade to 12th grade.
Primary education
Secondary and vocational education
Higher education
There are more than ten higher-learning institutions in Macau. Some student choose to further their studies in the local universities or polytechnics whereas some others choose to further their studies in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, or some other places.
See also
Further reading
- Direcção dos Serviços de Estatística e Census. http://www.dsec.gov.mo/
- Bray, M. et al. (2001). Higher Education in Macau: Strategic Development for the New Era. Consultation document prepared for the Macau SAR government. January.
- Morrison, K. R. B. (2007). Structural Inequality in Macau’s Workplaces and Schools. Macau Business, September, 60.
- Tang, H.H. (2010). "Higher Education Governance and Academic Entrepreneurialism in East Asia: The Two Episodes of Hong Kong and Macau". Research Studies in Education 8: 106-124. (ISBN 9789881982018).
- Tang, Kwok-Chun (Hong Kong Baptist University) and Mark Bray (University of Hong Kong). "Colonial models and the evolution of education systems: centralization and decentralization in Hong Kong and Macau." World Bank.
