Introduction to Curriculum Development in Formal Education

School education plays a vital role in sustainable development of people and society. Formal education curriculum is a device for cultivating people on a large scale. It embodies the cultural ideas and existing traditional concepts of a country/region and the needs for global socioeconomic development in the future. It is an important basis for carrying out teaching activities of educational value and dominates school premises. Mainly through teachers’ understanding and transformation of curriculum and the design of classroom teaching, it assists each individual to develop personal qualities necessary for development, enabling him/her to become a good member of the society, contribute to social development and national construction work.

Since 1994, Macao has successively drawn up curriculum plans and related subject syllabuses from pre-primary to secondary education to provide a followable basis for school curriculum. As of 2006, with the promulgation and implementation of the “The Fundamental Law of Non-tertiary Education System” (The Fundamental Law), the Macao SAR government has carried out various work related to curriculum reform and development stipulated in the Fundamental Law in an orderly manner. Besides, since 2014, the Macao SAR government has promulgated and implemented in an orderly manner the administrative regulations:“The Curriculum Framework for Formal Education of Local Education System” (Curriculum Framework) and “The Requirements of Basic Academic Attainments of Local Education System” (The Requirements of Basic Academic Attainments) as well as the dispatch of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture regulating the specific content of “The Requirements of Basic Academic Attainments” for each stage of education. Thus, the guiding system for school curriculum from pre-primary to secondary education has been fully established.

Schools can independently develop their school-based curriculum under the premise of complying with the above-mentioned “Curriculum Framework” and “The Requirements of Basic Academic Attainments”.

In recent years, educational research institutions in the international community have pointed out that the cultivation of future talents in society should focus more on the development of personal literacy. Therefore, the Macao SAR government will uphold overall thinking on the development of education in Macao, implement the educational goals and curriculum-related regulations in the Fundamental Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region. Besides, the Macao SAR government will learn from mainland China, neighboring and other advanced countries and regions in the world about the experience they have accumulated in curriculum theory and curriculum reform practice, actively promote the optimization of school curriculum, develop curriculum and teaching resources, enhance teachers’ ability to develop curriculum, especially practical examples of assisting students to collect learning achievements and confirm process of personal development, guide students on how to learn effectively, strive to enhance students’ academic ability, cultivate citizens of the new era and implement the philosophy of “Macao thrives through education, building Macao by talents”.

Curriculum development in the Macao Special Administrative Region requires support and effort of the government, schools, various educational organizations and institutions, educators, parents, and the general public. Let’s work together to promote the continuous curriculum development in Macao.