Lawmakers Kou Kam Fai and Pang Chuan want the government to promote the creation of sinology clubs to facilitate training for educators and the general population, aiming to boost their patriotism and national education levels.
The idea was expressed via a spoken inquiry delivered at the Legislative Assembly (AL) by Kou, in the name of both lawmakers.
“As it is well-known, Macau’s positioning in the Greater Bay [Area] is a basis for exchange and cooperation that, with Chinese culture as predominant, promotes the coexistence of diversified cultures,” Kou said. He added, “this definition, which marks a new era, was made five years ago, and we need to make a rigorous assessment of its fulfillment, in the areas of culture, education, tourism, and economy, to inspire future work.”
In the lawmakers’ view, the values of Chinese culture and its promotion facilitate strengthening national identity, self-confidence in culture, and love for the motherland and Macau.
At the AL, Kou said that “the essential tenets of traditional Chinese culture are to seek truth from facts, coexist with disagreements, be people-based and uphold morality and benevolence, all taken from the canons of sinology,” therefore promoting traditional culture inherently recognizes the value of sinology in building a morally and culturally oriented China in the modern era.
Pointing to what he claims to be the main problem, Kou said that in primary and secondary education, “the education of traditional culture lacks a global program and substantial spirit, which will in its turn affect the work of the MSAR (Macau Special Administrative Region) in the training of talents who master the fundamental knowledge of sinology.”
To solve this issue, Macau must resort to traditional cultural values to train talent “who truly love and serve the nation.”
The “sinology intervention” program should focus, according to the lawmakers, on two aspects: the history and culture of Macau, and national studies. Kou said that primary and secondary teachers in Macau lack knowledge of these two aspects.
Kou expressed a view that the Education and Youth Development Bureau should define plans to encourage the population to take initiative in “creating academies or reading clubs to promote the national studies.” He added that clubs, in turn, should be supported by local universities, “creating an academic environment and platform for national education, and teaching and research on Macau’s history,” providing opportunities for professional training and exchange to local teachers.
Another way to promote better sinology training would be through the organization of “Chinese classics reading sessions for teachers and students,” in which Chinese literature classics would be selected for reading and discussion. This would be done in conjunction with history and culture of Macau and national studies subjects.
