【雲上嶺南】Teng Sio Hong, Deputy Director of DSEDJ of Macao SAR: 'Loving the Country, Loving Macao' to be core principle
澳门特区教育及青年发展局副局长丁少雄：爱国爱澳教育是最核心原则
Since the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to its motherland China, Macao has achieved significant progress in education and youth development. Recently, Teng Sio Hong, Deputy Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) of the Macao SAR government, was interviewed by the Yangcheng Evening News.
Yangcheng Evening News: In recent years, what measures has Macao taken in educating people to love their country and Macao?
Teng Sio Hong: "Loving the Country, Loving Macao" has always been the core principle guiding the SAR government's educational work. We have integrated this principle into the long-term development plans for education, including non-higher education, higher education, and the ten-year plan for youth policy.
In non-higher education, particularly in basic education schools, we have developed a series of teaching materials. In higher education, we have also coordinated with institutions of higher learning to incorporate "Loving the Country, Loving Macao" education into compulsory courses. In the last academic year, over 90% of undergraduate degree programs have included subjects such as the national constitution, the Basic Law of Macao SAR, Chinese history and culture, and national security as compulsory subjects. We expect this proportion to reach 100% soon.
Yangcheng Evening News: Besides classroom learning, does Macao organize students to step out of the classroom and participate in various teaching activities?
Teng Sio Hong: For example, we have implemented the National Defense Education Experience Camp project for more than ten years, arranging all second-year Macao middle school students to undergo a week-long military training on the mainland to deepen their understanding and pride in national security and the People's Liberation Army.
With the assistance and support of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, we organize students to visit the mainland for study and exchange every year, allowing them to experience the economic and cultural development of the country firsthand. At the same time, we also cooperate with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macao or the garrison troops to hold diplomatic knowledge competitions, flag raiser training, military summer camps, and other activities.
Yangcheng Evening News: How well do Macao students accept the National Defense Education Experience Camp?
Teng Sio Hong: The National Defense Education Experience Camp mainly focuses on experiential learning, and this program is very popular in Macao. Each time at the end of the program, they can demonstrate very well, including military drills and tactical exercises, all of which are performed excellently. The instructors also give high praise to Macao students, saying they are very active and very engaged.
This experiential learning approach leaves a deeper impression on students than mere classroom lectures and can better stimulate their interest and motivation to learn. We will continue to promote and improve this program to give more Macao students the opportunity to participate.
Yangcheng Evening News: In recent years, Macao's education sector has placed great emphasis on exchanges with the mainland. Are there any distinctive measures in this regard?
Teng Sio Hong: We place great importance on the cooperation and exchange between Macao schools and mainland schools. Currently, we have 75 Macao schools that have sisterhood with over 500 schools on the mainland. In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), particularly, the number of sister schools has exceeded 200.
Yangcheng Evening News: In terms of building the teaching staff in Macao, what exchanges and cooperation are there with the mainland?
Teng Sio Hong: For many years, we have had many educators who have obtained degrees from normal universities in the mainland and then returned to Macao to work in education. In recent years, we have had over 150 graduates each year going to normal universities on the mainland to pursue degrees and then return to Macao to teach. This has greatly supported Macao's educational endeavors.
On the other hand, to enhance the quality of the teaching team, our "Mainland-Macao Outstanding Teachers Exchange and Collaboration Programme" in cooperation with the national education department has attracted over 400 outstanding mainland teachers to Macao. They help our teachers absorb excellent experiences and teaching methods from other regions. In addition, we also invite normal universities from the Chinese mainland to regularly send educational experts to Macao to provide professional training for our teachers.
Yangcheng Evening News: In terms of academic construction and the transformation of scientific research results, what developments have Macao's higher education institutions made, and what are their characteristics?
Teng Sio Hong: Macao has established four national key laboratories, covering areas such as traditional Chinese medicine quality detection, microelectronics, lunar and planetary science, and the Internet of Things in Smart Cities. These national key laboratories have driven the construction of surrounding academic disciplines, and Macao's universities have also set up corresponding undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs around these laboratories.
Macao's universities also take advantage of policy benefits to establish multiple industry-university-research demonstration bases, research centers, and training bases in the mainland, especially in the GBA. These platforms provide opportunities for Macao's research results to be implemented and transformed.
Yangcheng Evening News: Currently, what is the situation of Macao students pursuing higher education on the mainland?
Teng Sio Hong: At present, the mainland has become the most popular destination for Macao students to pursue further education, aside from Macao itself, with this proportion exceeding 40% and still rising. In the 2023-2024 academic year, 114 mainland universities participated in the examination for recruiting recommended students to Macao, with over 1,300 Macao students being admitted to mainland universities through this examination.
回归祖国25周年以来，澳门的教育及青年发展工作取得了显著成就。近日，澳门特区政府教育及青年发展局副局长丁少雄接受了羊城晚报专访。
羊城晚报：近年来，在爱国爱澳教育方面，澳门有哪些举措？
丁少雄：“爱国爱澳”一直以来都是特区政府开展教育工作的最核心原则。我们已经将爱国爱澳教育纳入了教育相关的长期发展规划中，包括非高等教育、高等教育以及青年政策的十年规划。
在非高等教育方面，特别是在基础教育学校，我们已经开发了一系列教材。在高等教育方面，我们也协调高等院校将爱国爱澳的元素纳入必修课程。上一个学年已经有超过90%的本科学位课程将国家宪法、澳门基本法、中国历史文化、国家安全等内容纳入了必修科目中。预计这个比例很快可以达到100%。
羊城晚报：除了课堂学习，澳门是否会组织学生走出教室，参与各类教学活动？
丁少雄：例如，我们已经实施了十多年的国防教育营项目，安排所有澳门中学二年级的学生到内地进行为期一周的军事训练，以加深他们对国家安全、人民解放军的认识和自豪感。
在澳门中联办的协助支持下，我们每年都会组织学生到内地进行学习和交流，亲身感受国家的经济文化发展。同时，我们也与外交部驻澳门特别行政区特派员公署或驻澳部队合作，举办外交知识竞赛、国旗手培训、军事夏令营等活动。
羊城晚报：澳门学生对国防教育营的接受度如何？
丁少雄：国防教育营主要以体验式学习为主，这个项目在澳门非常受欢迎。每次到结业的时候，他们都能做出很好的演示，包括军体操、战术演练等，都表现得非常出色。教官对澳门的学生也给予了很高的评价，他们认为澳门的学生很活跃，也非常投入。
这种体验式的学习方式，比单纯的课堂讲授更能让学生们留下深刻的印象，也更能激发他们的学习兴趣和动力。我们会继续推广和完善这个项目，让更多的澳门学生有机会参与其中。
羊城晚报：近年来澳门教育界非常重视与内地的交流，在这方面有什么特色举措吗？
丁少雄：我们非常重视澳门学校与内地学校的合作与交流。目前我们已经有75间澳门学校与内地超过500间学校建立了姊妹学校关系。特别是在大湾区，姊妹学校数量已经超过了200间。
羊城晚报：在澳门师资力量的建设上，和内地有什么交流与合作？
丁少雄：多年来，我们有很多教育工作者通过在内地的师范大学取得学位后回到澳门从事教育工作。近年来，我们每年都有超过一百五十位应届毕业生前往内地的师范大学修读学位，然后回到澳门任教。这大力支持了澳门的教育事业。
另一方面，在提升教师团队质量上，我们与国家教育部门合作的“内地优秀教师来澳交流计划”，已经吸引了超过四百位内地优秀教师来到澳门。他们帮助我们的教师吸取其他地区的优秀经验和教学方法。此外，我们还会邀请内地的师范大学委派教育专家学者定期到澳门为我们的教师进行专业培训。
羊城晚报：在学科建设、科研成果转化等方面，澳门高等教育有哪些发展，以及有哪些特色？
丁少雄：澳门已经建立了四个国家重点实验室，分别涉及中医药质量检测、微电子、月球与行星科学以及智慧城市物联网等领域。这些国家重点实验室带动了周边学术学科的建设，澳门高校也围绕这些实验室开设了相应的本科、硕士和博士学位课程。
澳门高校还借助政策优势，在内地尤其是大湾区设立了多个产学研示范基地、研究中心和实训基地。这些平台为澳门的研究成果提供了落地和转化的机会。
羊城晚报：目前，澳门学生赴内地接受高等教育的情况是怎样的？
丁少雄：目前，内地已经成为除了澳门本地之外，澳门学生升学最多的地区，这个比例已经超过40%并仍在上升。2023到2024学年，有114所内地高校参与了来澳门招收保送学生的考试，有超过1300位澳门学生通过这个考试被内地高校录取。
来源：羊城晚报
