Pui Ching just became the first secondary school in Macao to forge ties with the school association of Das Laranjeiras of Lisbon. Ms. Wai Kei Leong, Chief of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, believes this will be conducive to the Portuguese language development of local students and the academic exchange between Macao and Portugal.

After the end of the dance parade in Lisbon, the Pui Ching Dance Team visited Escola Secundaria D. Pedro V today and exchanged dance moves with the local students. At the same time, Pui Ching Middle School entered into a contract with the school association of Das Laranjeiras of Lisbon under the witness of Ms. Tin Lin O, director of the Delegação Económica e Comercial de Macau em Lisboa and Ms. Wai Kei Leong, Chief of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of Macao.

Ms. Wai Kei Leong of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau is hopeful that this sisterhood will diversify the channels through which local students learn the language and culture of Portugal as well as encourage Portuguese students interested in Chinese culture to pursue academic exchange opportunities in Macao. The bond is also expected to facilitate cultural exchange between Macao and Portugal.

Ms. Wai Kei Leong mentioned that in the 2016/ 2017 academic year, a total of 29 private schools in Macao offer Portuguese language courses, attracting enrollment from about 3,800 students. In addition to offering Portuguese language instruction in public schools, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau also provides much support to private schools in language instruction, including supplying schools with language teachers and providing funding to schools for the recruitment of talents.  To ensure the quality of instruction, Portuguese language courses offered by private schools are required to be no less than 70 class hours long for secondary schools and no less than 60 class hours long for primary schools. 

The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau gives full support to the professional development of Portuguese language teachers and subsidizes the training of Portuguese language teachers and bilingual talents. The bureau is also behind community movements that aim to promote Portuguese language learning outside of higher education.

Language Promotion Center Director Mr. Zang Chi Wong added that Basic Academic Attainment Criteria have been published this year and last year for Portuguese instruction in primary, junior high, and senior high schools. The center will also make revisions to the current textbooks based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The teaching materials for Primary 1 to 4 have been revised as of today.  Revision for the entire primary school section is expected to be completed by next year, and the revision for the secondary school section will commence in the same year.  The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau is dedicated to providing continual support for the training of current and prospective teachers, the strengthening of ties with Portuguese-speaking countries, the promotion of language learning outside of higher education, and the training of bilingual talents for Macao.

At the end of the exchange activities, the Pui Ching Dance Team attended the opening ceremony for the Happy Spring Festival Around the World Photography Exhibition and had the pleasure of enjoying pictures from last year’s Happy Spring Festival Gala.

Pui Ching Principal Dr. Kam Fai Kou expressed that the cooperation between Pui Ching and Portugal schools is expected to enhance exchange of ideas on school management, teacher-student interaction as well as internet communication, with the promotion of the learning of Portuguese language and culture as the focus at this point. It is also believed that the establishment of ties with Portugal schools will facilitate the development of Macao into an important Trade Cooperation and Human Resources Portal between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries.

Dr. Kou also mentioned that current Portuguese language instruction takes both the form of formal education and extra-curricular activities at Pui Ching and has attracted about 300 students. Over 10 graduates every year choose to pursue Portuguese-related fields of study in higher education, such as law and translation.  Pui Ching is open to the possibility of extending cooperation with Portugal schools to other districts in Lisbon.

Pui Ching’s cooperation with the school association of Das Laranjeiras of Lisbon has been covered in various newspaper articles:

http://www.macaodaily.com/html/2017-01/26/content_1153441.htm

http://www.macaodaily.com/html/2017-01/26/content_1153442.htm

http://www.macaodaily.com/html/2017-01/26/content_1153443.htm