Macau Yearbook 2013 - Macao Yearbook

Macao Yearbook 2013applications for subsidies for participation in overseas tertiary education or continuing educationprogrammes and certification examinations.Recurrent education has provided education opportunities to residents who did not completeformal education at the normal age. During the 2012/2013 academic year, three public schools andeight private schools offered recurrent education. Each Macao resident enrolled in private schoolsfor recurrent studies received a subsidy of 14,600 patacas for primary courses, 18,600 patacas forjunior secondary courses and 21,100 patacas for senior secondary courses.In 2012, the Life-long Learning Incentive Award Scheme had provided 3,500 learning activitiesof various types and 99,000 learning opportunities.Open Campus CampaignThe Education Development Fund continues to support and encourage schools to open their facilitiesfor public use through the Open Campus Campaign, so that students and citizens can share morelearning resources. In the 2012/2013 academic year, there were 17 participating schools.Professional Development of Teaching StaffThe Framework for the Teaching Staff System of Private Schools Providing Non-tertiary Educationcame into effect on 1 September 2012 and was implemented in phases – including drawing up thecode of practice for teaching staff, issuing guidelines for teaching staff performance appraisals,monitoring schools’ adherence to the requirements for maintaining teaching staff remuneration andprovident fund expenses at a minimum of 70 percent of the school’s fixed and long-term income, aswell as providing conditions necessary to prepare for implementing a basic salary scale in schools.To relieve teachers of the burden of non-teaching work, in the 2012/2013 academic year theEducation Development Fund continued to support schools to recruit additional staff to promotereading culture, school medical staff, information technology education officers, personnel to helpin extra-curricular activities and laboratory clerks. The subsidy for each full-time staffer was set at260,000 patacas for one academic year; while that for each part-time staffer was 140,000 patacasfor one academic year.Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), drawn up by the Organization forEconomic Co-operation and Development (OECD), assesses the performance of 15-year-old schoolpupils of participating countries or regions in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy onceevery three years. Since 2003, Macao has participated in PISA assessments. Among the participatingcountries/economies, Macao has provided students with the most equitable education system.Arts EducationIn 2012, the DSEJ continued to organise various arts education schemes and activities including256