15-year Free Education And Macao Education Modernization

After Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration signed in1987, Macao’s education has been highly concerned. All students from the third year of Kindergarten education to Primary six would enjoy free education since the first phase of implementing Free Education subsidizing to schools in the academic year1995/1996. It was extended to Junior high schools in1997/1998. Macao’s economy has been developing rapidly and consecutively growing after the handover. The S.A.R. government decreed Non-tertiary Education System Law in2006. The government promoted Free Education from level1to level2of kindergarten in the form of tracing back the subsidies to schools attending in the Free Education system. Namely,12-year Free Education System had officially and widely implemented. In the later2007/2008academic year, Free Education was completely extended to15years, which means students from secondary Junior1to3can also enjoy the benefits of this system. The implementation of this law has tremendously reduced parents’ financial burdens, and also granted every prospective student to have equal schooling opportunity. This has also enhanced the quality of Macao’s education and the socio-cultural development.No matter traditional Chinese style or religious Western style of schools, Macao education had boomed to open to the world and diversified under the reign of a colonial government. However, due to economic constraints, the development of Macao’s education had been affected in a certain extent.Educational modernization is kind of a historical progress path, which prompts the education from a feudal phase to an industrialized society phase. Regarding the world modernization of education, many countries, which had early launched this scheme based on intrinsic factors, were born out with the developing mode of early self-produced type. Yet, Macau was still in the mode of extrinsic type of special implementing education modernization. For instance, Hong Kong only founded the first private tertiary school in1981. However, there are currently over ten tertiary schools of different styles of their own.After handover, the parties of Macao’s education still enjoy high autonomy in constructing school education. They have also inherited the distinguishing diversity of Macao education. Currently, the Macao school system comprises three types:public school, subsidized public schools and private schools. Public schools are run by government while the subsidized public schools are not run by the government but sponsored financially by Macao government and follow the education procedures of public schools. Private schools are run by individuals or parties. These schools have their own education procedures, which are also enjoying the fruits of economic development, namely the15-year free education system. The policy of Education Public-oriented has reflected specifically in the increasing financial support by the government on education, which has created a better relaxing financial environment for those sponsored schools and so has provided a well-equipped education environment for students. After that, this policy has also highly increased the salary and welfare for school teachers, which has consolidated Macao teachers’ service persistence. Moreover, Government also provides many relevant training in the area of professional teaching in order to reinforce teachers’ professional standard. On the whole, it helps enhance the complete teaching effectiveness. The education success in Finland rooted in allocating tremendous amounts of resources on teachers and students, and accompanied with excellent policies. This example helps us ponder on the development of Macao modern education.